POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – Grady Judd will be the Sheriff of Polk County for four more years.
According to the sheriff’s office, Judd secured another term after nobody qualified to run against him.
“It appears that you are stuck with me for a little while longer,” Judd said in the agency’s monthly digital newsletter. “I recently received the good news that nobody attempted to qualify to run against me as your Sheriff. Due to nobody qualifying to run against me this Fall, I have been officially re-elected as Sheriff of Polk County—the next election will be in 2024.”
Judd was first elected sheriff in 2004 after 32 years with the sheriff’s office. He hasn’t had an opponent on the ballot for the past 15 years.
Over the past few years, Judd has become somewhat famous for his no-mercy handling of sex offenders and colorful press conferences. He recently made headlines after encouraging homeowners to shoot any looters who break into their homes during protests that unfolded following the death of George Floyd.
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“I would tell them, if you value your life, you probably shouldn’t do that in Polk County,” Judd said. “Because the people of Polk County like guns, they have guns, I encourage them to own guns, and they’re going to be inside their homes tonight with their guns loaded. And if you try to break into their homes tonight and try to steal, to set fires, I’m highly recommending they blow you back out of the house with their guns.”
“Going back to when I was a little boy growing up in Lakeland, it was my dream to serve as Sheriff of Polk County. Thanks to all of you, and the hard work of many dedicated people, I was able to achieve that dream, and have it continue,” Judd said in the newsletter.
The county sheriff serves a 4-year-term. The general election is Nov. 3.
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