Sheriff Mike Prendergast's troubles give hope to Citrus County challengers

Mike Prendergast former owner of this piece. Now he doesn't show up anymore.

Prendergastthe incumbent two-term Citrus County sheriff, finds himself fending off attacks from all directions, including the Citrus Trump 47 Club where Prendergast enjoyed full support during his first six years in office.

When the club held a forum for sheriff candidates in Lecanto, Prendergast's three challengers enthusiastically presented their platforms. Prendergast's campaign was absent.

Opponent Calvin Adams Jr.a retired colonel with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, made sure attendees knew the incumbent was not running.

“That should be ingrained in your mind,” he said. “It's a shame. A real shame. »

Four Republicans are in the running: Prendergast, Adams, Doug Alexandre And Dave Vincent.

Prendergast has a huge financial advance — $184,707 in contributions as of April 10, the last declaration deadline. Alexander and Vincent had about $65,000 in contributions between them.

Prendergast, however, has recently lost public support.

In early 2023, his agency helped the FBI arrest Jesse Rumsonknown as “Panda sedition», for his role in the January 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol. When Prendergast took to the agency's Facebook page to support the FBI's efforts, his Republican supporters associated with the former president Donald Trump reacted with indignation.

“No vote for you, Mr. Prendergast. You are a traitor,” one comment said.

In March, Prendergast's public image suffered further with the arrest of Dennis “Gene” Himmelthe adult son of the superintendent of schools Sandra “Sam” Himmel, for drug trafficking. Almost all charges were later dismissed. Prendergast announced the arrest on the agency's Facebook page with a photo of Prendergast in riot gear looking down at a handcuffed Gene Himmel.

The photo, above all, ignited the community against Prendergast.

“Thank you for speaking out against the bullying and intimidation by the sheriff,” one person commented on the site. Just Wright Citrus The Facebook page. “A very poor example of how to live, let alone lead.”

Prendergast also engaged Citrus County commissioners about his budget. He started a Facebook campaign The goal was to convince the commissioners of the need to increase the number of deputies, but this effort found little success.

Prendergast accused commissioners of trying to “defund the police” because they seek a special property tax specific to sheriff’s operations.

The challengers noticed.

Vincentformer sheriff's captain and now police chief of the Citrus County School District, repeatedly discusses the need for communication and dialogue among the county's elected leaders.

“I’m going to do the right thing for the right reasons,” he said.

Alexanderpastor and former school resource officer, has years of uniting the community for good causes.

“What the sheriff’s office needs is a good leader,” he said.

But nothing prepared Citrus County for the avalanche of anti-Prendergast opinions brought on by Michelle Lahera guest column in the Citrus County Chronicle.

Lahera's husband, Andyis a sheriff's school resource officer who was seriously injured after being hit by a car while directing traffic during Lecanto High School's 2023 graduation ceremonies. He has been fighting for his life ever since.

Ms Lahera said Prendergast planned to end Employing Andy rather than allowing him to stay on the job for health insurance, which a county official said costs the sheriff's office about $8,000 a year.

The column, shared 900 times by readers of the Just Wright Citrus blog, struck a chord. Thousands of comments flooded local social media.

Then, the sheriff's office itself posted on its Facebook page a “Our prayers continue”. statement with a photo of Andy.

“The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office has remained steadfastly committed to Deputy Lahera throughout this very difficult journey. We firmly hope that Andy makes a full and complete recovery so that our colleague and dear friend can return to his community and continue to serve as a school resource deputy,” the statement said.

Citizens responded – more than 1,500 comments almost universal in their criticism of Prendergast.

Many comments indicated that the Sheriff's Office's last public update on Andy Lahera was in November 2023. The timing of the post — the day after Michelle Lahera's column — seemed suspicious to readers.

” Yeah. It probably would have been better to not even post,” one person wrote. “Publishing something like this after Ms. Lahera’s article is like a slap in the face. Suffice it to say, Citrus County is disappointed and disgusted with the Sheriff’s Office, to say the least.”

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