Former St. Johns County Sheriff joins Florida Senate race

Former St. Johns County Sheriff David Shoar has cast his name into the District 7 Senate race.

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According to News Service of Florida, Shoar opened a campaign account on Friday to run for the seat that will be vacated by term-limited Sen. Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine.

House Appropriations Chairman Tom Leek, R-Ormond Beach, is also running for the seat and has gained support from Republican leaders like Gov. Ron DeSantis and incoming Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula.

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The district is made up of St. Johns, Putnam, Flagler and part of Volusia counties.

Shoar was first elected sheriff in St. Johns County in 2004 and served until 2020. After that, he joined the law firm Woolsey Morcom in 2023 as the director of investigations, according to the firm’s website.

Other candidates running for the District 7 seat include Republican Gerry James, Democrat George Anthony Hill and unaffiliated candidate Michael Levon Gist.

Florida’s primary election will be held Aug. 20.

News Service of Florida helped contribute to this article.

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