The Promise
On August 11th, 2016, candidate Mike Prendergast said,
"First of all, if you deal drugs in this county after I'm elected Sheriff, I'm coming after you."
Hear the clip from that night by clicking play
The Soldier
Mike enlisted as an E-1 Private in 1978. Over the course of his 31-year Military Police career, he retired an 0-6 Full Colonel.
Mike held the assignment of Provost Marshal, a post similar to sheriff, four times in his career overseeing law enforcement, fire, and emergency service operations.
During his time on Active Duty, Mike earned three bachelors degrees and three masters degrees.
About Our Sheriff
The Statesman
Mike retired from the Army and went to work for the State of Florida. He became the longest-tenured Executive Director of the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs, a position he held for nearly five years before resigning to run for sheriff.
During his time in charge of the FDVA, Mike managed a $110 million budget and 1,100 employees. His final act was presenting the State with a $40 million building he obtained from the federal government via a grant.
The Sheriff
Mike vowed on the campaign trail to aggressively attack the drug problem. During his first term, he has led the Citrus County Sheriff's Office to several record breaking busts including the largest bust in terms of street value and the largest bust of methamphetamine.
Within the first months of taking office, he created a dedicated traffic unit which has drastically cut down on fatalities and incidents.