Florida House | U.S. House | Statewide | Voting
Grady Judd, the Republican who has served as sheriff of Polk County for 20 years, faces opposition from Theodore Murray, a Frostproof man who says he is running because he has been victimized by law enforcement.
In Florida, a sheriff serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the county, providing safety for residents, operating county jails and ensuring the security of courts. Current salary is $252,972 a year.
Grady Judd
- Republican, incumbent
- Lakeland, age 70
- Sheriff
- Brief bio: Lakeland native who has worked continuously at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office since he was hired as a dispatcher in 1972 at age 18. He was elected sheriff in 2004 and subsequently re-elected.
- Education: Lakeland High School; AS degree, police science, Polk Community College; BS degree, criminal justice, Rollins College; MS degree, criminal justice, Rollins College.
- Campaign finance; Friends of Grady Judd (political action committee)
Theodore Murray
- No party affiliate
- Frostproof, age 46
- Owner, home repair business
- Brief bio: A native of Perry, N.Y., he ran twice for U.S. House in Florida’s 17th District and received less than 2% of the vote.
- Education: Hobart and William Smith Colleges, B.A., Economics and Latin American Studies
- Campaign finance
Questions and answers
Neither candidate filled out LkldNow’s candidate questionnaire.
Campaign finance
Numbers reflect contributions through Sept. 20.
Judd
- Total: $523,222.92
- Average contribution: $580.71
- Top occupations of contributors: Retired (11.2% of total dollars), law enforcement (10%), attorney (8.5%), real estate (7.6%), agriculture (3.3%)
- Full list of donors
- Also: The Friends of Grady Judd political action committee raised $397,450 from 39 individuals and organizations.
Murray
The candidate’s only reported contribution is $9,100 from himself, most of which paid for his qualifying fee.
News links
- Complaints about law enforcement motivate candidate for Polk County sheriff – The Ledger, May 30
latest news
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
