FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Pastor Allen Jackson is among the pastors who said Tuesday that they are backing Scott Israel in November’s race to get his job back as Broward Sheriff.
“Our vote was stolen,” Jackson said about Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to remove him over his response to the Parkland school shooting. “Our vote was taken away from us.”
Jackson and about a dozen other pastors met on Tuesday at Branhilda Richardson-Knowles Memorial in Deerfield Beach to say DeSantis shouldn’t have appointed Sheriff Gregory Tony in Israel’s place.
“What an embarrassment for a governor to appoint someone that he never really vetted,” Jackson said. “What an embarrassment to get on TV and say I never knew the man.”
Alvin Pollock is among the 14 candidates running for the job. He said it’s clear Israel challenged DeSantis’ decision through five different systems -- all the way up to the federal court -- and all upheld it.
“It is time to move on,” Pollock said, adding it is time to focus on the issues: Racism, the bias in police work, recruiting, and excessive use of force.
While Pollock has $75,000 in campaign contributions, Israel has $137,000 and Tony has $155,000. Broward’s Democratic primary is Aug. 18.
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