VIERA, Fla. – Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey took to social media Monday to announce his intention to run for a fourth term as the county’s top law enforcement officer, according to our news partners at Florida Today.
The announcement — a nearly seven-minute-long video — was posted on Facebook to Ivey’s Constitutional Sheriff Wayne Ivey American Patriot page, which has 13,000 followers. The page’s description points out that it is a “Political advertisement paid for and approved by Re-Elect Sheriff Wayne Ivey, Republican For Sheriff.” The Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Office noted Ivey as an “announced”' candidate as of Monday.
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“I would be honored to continue serving as your Brevard County sheriff,” Ivey said in the video.
Ivey makes $209,860 annually for the countywide position.
Ivey, a former Florida Department of Law Enforcement special resident agent in charge with nearly four decades in law enforcement, was first elected sheriff in 2012. In 2020, Ivey won more than 66% of the vote, staving off a challenge from criminal defense attorney Alton Edmond to win a third term in office. However, Jake Miller, who served as Brevard County’s sheriff for 17 years, was the longest-serving law enforcement officer to hold that position in recent years.
The sheriff’s office, with 1,700 workers, oversees seaport security for Port Canaveral, the biggest passenger cruise port in the nation, Brevard Public School District security for the system’s 70,000-plus students and animal services along with a charity drive. The agency — which provides support to the Space Coast’s municipal police departments — primarily patrols the unincorporated areas of the county of 630,000 residents.
There has been criticism of Ivey along the way, including questions over behind-the-scenes calls on political issues, with allegations from three local candidates, including one for county judge, that the sheriff attempted to lure them out of their 2022 races in exchange for political jobs.
Ivey has also been at the center of several controversies, from his handling of deputy-involved shootings to the 2018 jail death of Gregory Edwards to Ivey’s social media show “Wheel of Fugitive,” all garnering national attention. Despite that, Ivey has received strong support from conservative corners for his brand of law enforcement and stance on issues like the Second Amendment and permitless carry, along with his unwavering backing of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“As a shepherd of our taxpayers’ dollars, our Brevard County Sheriff’s Office budget is considered to be one of the most transparent and fiscally sound budgets in the state,” Ivey states in the video announcement.
“... I couldn’t be more proud as over the course of the past 10 and a half years, we have accomplished so much.”
The general election will take place Nov. 5, 2024.
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