Colleagues-turned-foes Ric Bradshaw, Michael Gauger face off for Palm Beach Sheriff

Palm Beach County voters will decide whether to keep longtime Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, a Democrat, or replace him with Republican Michael Gauger, who served for 16 years as Bradshaw’s second-in-command.

Both are 76. Both boast over 50 years of policing experience.

Bradshaw’s running for a sixth term overseeing 4,300 employees and a more than $900 million budget. He’s been endorsed by both of Gauger’s past Primary opponents, among many others.

Gauger says the Sheriff’s Office needs to cut spending and restore several departments. He carries endorsements from the Palm Beach Fraternal Order of Police, Palm Beach Post and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

– Jesse Scheckner, Florida Politics