TCPalm Editorial Board recommendation 2024: St. Lucie County sheriff | Our View

TERM: Four years

CANDIDATES: Richard Del Toro, 47; Preston Michael DiFrancesco, 56; and Keith Pearson, 41

KEY ISSUES: Law enforcement, public safety, community relations with law enforcement

More: St. Lucie County Primary Election 2024: Candidates reply to questionnaires

On the Treasure Coast, there's been no more unusual race on the Aug. 20 ballot than the Republican primary for St. Lucie County sheriff.

The three men are vying to replace Ken Mascara, who abruptly resigned last December for what he said were unspecified health reasons .

Within hours of Mascara's allegedly "surprise" resignation, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Pearson, a mid-level employee in the sheriff's office under Mascara's watch, to serve as interim sheriff, pending the results of this year's elections.

Pearson promptly declared himself as a candidate, touching off a heated battle against Del Toro and DiFrancesco, who had entered the race months earlier.

Since then, there's scarcely been a dull moment. Pearson and the Sheriff’s Office routinely ignored journalists’ requests for documents and information on public safety matters. It took a formal pre-lawsuit notice from TCPalm to Pearson to get some of these records. Eventually, other records proved Pearson's appointment was the product of backroom political dealing .

One fact penetrates all the spin and hype

Amid the controversy, Pearson has claimed to be "the governor's choice," despite no formal recommendation from DeSantis in the primary. Pearson has attempted to circumvent legacy media and used social media in bizarre ways to get his message out.

His selfies posted on social media with arrested suspects drew the ire of U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe and State Attorney Tom Bakkedahl , who have said Pearson's self-promotional posts could undermine public respect for law enforcement.

Pearson is under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for alleged election law violations. The union representing sheriff's deputies has endorsed Del Toro , as has Bakkedahl and the local Republican Party's executive committee.

Simply put, there's been a lot of stuff to sort through. But when you get past all of that, past all the spin and rhetoric that float around during a campaign season, one fact is clear:

Del Toro is the best qualified candidate for the St. Lucie County sheriff's job.

A leader in waiting

He's been the acting police chief in Port St. Lucie for more than a year. Before that, he spent 11 years as the city's assistant police chief. His 26-year career includes assignments on road patrol, the special investigations division, internal affairs and as commander of the professional standards division and SWAT team.

During that time, Port St. Lucie frequently ranked among the nation's safest cities , based on crime rates. The county's crime rate is twice that of the city's, but Del Toro vowed to change that if he's elected.

He plans to use many of the crime-suppression tactics that have worked in Port St. Lucie, with a goal of making St. Lucie County the safest county in Florida.

He plans for the sheriff's office to be internationally, not just nationally, accredited for following best practices and procedures.

And, importantly, especially after the past few months, he wants to rebuild public trust and run an organization with transparency and integrity. Del Toro would end Pearson's practice of posting trophy shots of suspects, which he says shows "a complete lack of professionalism."

Del Toro vowed to be tough on lawbreakers, while recognizing those arrested still have rights and deserve to be treated with "dignity and respect."

Del Toro is knowledgeable about many different aspects of law enforcement, such as community policing and the effective use of body camera videos. He seems committed to working with other local law enforcement agencies, particularly the Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce police, to provide efficient service throughout the county.

Having served in a fast-growing city, he seems well-equipped to deal with challenges posed by St. Lucie County's explosive growth.

Neither Pearson nor DiFrancesco bothered to return the short questionnaires we send to all political candidates, nor did either of them appear at Tuesday's interview with the TCPalm Editorial Board.

Pearson has complained on social media and elsewhere about the local media being out to get him, but he declined an opportunity to speak with us and his competition to defend his record on a video available to the public.

Did Pearson and DiFrancesco, nephew of the man who funneled significant campaign contributions into DeSantis' presidential campaign right before the interim appointment was made , fear they would have been overshadowed by Del Toro's experience had they joined him in our interview?

Sadly, no one found out. Del Toro is the best candidate in this race.

TCPalm’s candidate recommendations are decided collectively by its Editorial Board. Recommendations are based on nonpartisan criteria that prioritize the best candidates for our local community.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: TCPalm Editorial Board recommendation 2024: St. Lucie County sheriff | Our View