SANCTUARY CITY? What a candidate for sheriff is saying about those claims

Three Republican candidates will square off in the race for Indian River County sheriff.

WPTV is taking a closer look at a controversial piece of political mail that questions one of the candidate's stances on immigration.

Reporter Romelo Styles went straight to the source to try and figure out where the mailing came from.

A flyer hit mailboxes in Indian River County recently that questioned candidate Keith Touchberry's stance on illegal immigration.

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Fellsmere's city manager then responded with a statement claiming the allegation that Fellsmere is a sanctuary city is false.

The mailing was sent by the political action committee (PAC) Floridians for Ethics and Truth in Politics.

WPTV called representatives with the PAC, who confirmed that they created the mailing in 2017 but denied re-circulating the mailer this election cycle.

"There have been some attack ads out there that have clearly taken a lot of my quotes out of context over the past several years," Touchberry told WPTV.

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Touchberry said he has not gone after the other candidates in a negative way and has run a clean race.

"I'm pro-lawful immigration. That's what the United States of America was founded on," Touchberry said. "I am not pro-illegal immigration."

Touchberry is currently the police chief of Fellsmere, running against current Sheriff Eric Flowers and Milo Thornton.

"I'm not going to turn a blind eye to immigration," Thornton said. "You must make sure that you are in this community, or in our community, legally."

"Our team is always out there vigilant looking for anyone who might be trafficking folks into our country," Sheriff Eric Flowers said. "We play a role of first line defense."

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Flowers said he wants to build on his successes.

"We've put in our license plate reader system," Flowers said. "We put in our real-time crime center. We've brought auto burglaries down 32% and residential burglaries 34%."

Thorton wants to focus on issues that he feels have been ignored.

"The issues such as the opioid crisis that we have in our community, and I've drafted a very robust plan to address that. Our homeless issues, I have a plan to address that and our mental health," Thorton said.

Touchberry wants voters to know the person they see now is the man they will get for sheriff.

"I am who I say I am," Touchberry said. "What you see is what you get. Honest, hardworking and a man of integrity who's ready to make a difference for everyone who lives works and plays in Indian River County."

WATCH WPTV ANCHOR MICHAEL WILLIAMS' INTERVIEWS WITH THE CANDIDATES:

Republican Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers outlines why voters should choose him for another term Republican Keith Touchberry explains why he's ready to lead the Indian River County Sheriff's Office Republican Milo Thornton seeks to become next sheriff of Indian River County