CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — Harold Rutledge wants to become Clay County’s next top cop.
Rutledge is a former sergeant with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and has spent more than 30 years working in the criminal justice system. He ran once before back in 2016 but came in fourth.
On Monday, he became the first candidate to file paperwork in the race for Sheriff.
" I running to restore integrity in the Sheriff's Office, the Sheriff's Office is facing many issues," Rutledge told First Coast News.
Rutledge is also a former Clay County Commissioner. He’s currently the executive director for the Florida Public Service Association, a non-profit that serves youth who aspire to work in law enforcement and education.
"I'm not going to spend my time dressing like a cowboy and drinking coffee, I'm going to be out there working hard," he says."The Sheriff's Office administrative budget is bloated and that means less deputies in the street. When I'm elected Sheriff, my first responsibility is to put more deputies back on the street to keep Clay County safe."
The primary election is set for August 25, 2020.