The incumbent sheriff, Michelle Cook, faced no challengers in the Republican primary. As no Democrats entered the race, her only opponent in the general election is Darryl Daniels, the former Clay County sheriff who Cook unseated in the Republican primary four years ago. This election, Daniels is running without party affiliation.
News4Jax sent a questionnaire to each candidate asking about their background and their views on several issues. Scroll down to read the responses of those seeking your vote -- in their own words.
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Note: Responses are sorted alphabetically and are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing by News4Jax staff.
| REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE |
Michelle Cook
Occupation: Police Officer
Age: 55
Family: Husband Don. Six kids.
Education: Masters Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of North Florida
Political experience: 4 years as Sheriff of Clay County
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
Growth - remain steadfast in my commitment to provide high level service to our community through recruiting/retention of employees, process efficiencies and smart use of technology.
Relationships- continue to build and foster genuine and meaningful relationships with citizens, officials and community leaders based on integrity, transparency and follow up.
Crime - we are seeing very low crime rates in Clay County and I will continue to focus on the reduction of crime and the fear of crime. This will be accomplished through flexible resource management, active understanding of our issues and equipment enhancements.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
Integrity. I will not embarrass my community or violate the trust of our residents. I have a 32 year record of effective law enforcement experience and leadership.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
Being a Sheriff that every resident could be proud of.
Campaign website: sheriffmichellecook.com
Campaign social media: Facebook
| NO PARTY AFFILIATION CANDIDATE |
Darryl Daniels
Occupation: I am a retired Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office executive and former Sheriff of Clay County.
Age: 59
Family: I have been married for 40 years. I am a father and a grandfather.
Education: A.S. in Criminal Justice Administration
B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies
M.A. in Religion
FBI National Academy session 255
Political experience: Former Clay County Sheriff
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
In the communities of NE Florida, we are experiencing the trafficking of opioids as well as other narcotics; there is a nexus between narcotics and violent crime.
Secondly, our country is woefully divided politically and in need of tangible leadership with an emphasis on unification.
Lastly, law enforcement is desperately in need of a paradigm shift that focuses on quality customer service versus the traditional command and control methodologies.
My plan to address narcotics activity is aggressive, but necessary. We will leverage federal, state and local resources to assist in investigations and we will include our community members in our intelligence gathering efforts.
To create an environment of unity in our communities will require initiatives comprised of a diverse cross section of community members focused on both problem solving and innovation. This approach leverages the synergistic energy of our community stakeholders to address the concerns of the people we are sworn to serve.
My plan for community engagement will offer opportunities for every demographic of society to have input and volunteerism.
Under my administration we began a Quality Customer Service policy, which was inculcated throughout every level of the Sheriff’s Office. The result was a 50%+ drop in complaints.
Law enforcement has to change as societal norms change. The world we live in has its uncertainties. The delivery of quality law enforcement and the fear of crime does not have to be part of those uncertainties. Let’s solve our societal issues together. It’s time!
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
As a the former Clay County Sheriff, I was the Chair of the Region III Domestic Security Taskforce (RDSTF), a member of the Domestic Security Oversight Council (DSOC), member of the National Sheriff’s Association (NSA) Drug Enforcement and Juvenile Programs Communities, and the Chair of the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA). Additionally, I was a member of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and Florida Sheriff’s Association (FSA). The resources associated with each of the aforementioned organizations will be a phone call away if needed. The community wants transparency and confidence that law enforcement will keep them, their families, businesses, schools, places of worship and all that they care about safe. I share those same expectations and will utilize every resource at my disposal.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
To significantly impact the drug activity and violent crimes in our communities is a challenge, but definitely achievable. To unify our communities, reduce crime and the fear of crime is also doable. However, they have to be the Sheriff’s priority. When elected, they will be my priority and the citizens of Clay County will play a significant role in OUR legacy. Psalm 94:16
Campaign website: Daniels4sheriff.com
Campaign social media: None given