The Citrus County Sheriff's race is down to two men.
Sheriff Mike Prendergast and Citrus County School District Police Chief David Vincent will square off in a winner-take-all Republican Primary.
Two challengers, retired state law enforcement Col. Calvin Adams Jr. and Inverness pastor Doug Alexander, did not qualify.
Both Adams and Alexander announced their support for Vincent during the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce candidate's forum that occurred just moments after qualifying ended.
They said the three challengers were able to meet recently, and concluded their collective message has a better chance of defeating the incumbent.
"It is imperative the vote not be split among so many like-minded candidates," Adams said.
Alexander, a former Sheriff's deputy who announced his candidacy in March, was seen as Vincent's closest competitor. Each has similar collections in the $40,000 range.
Alexander waited until Friday morning before deciding to forgo qualifying.
"It was a tough thing to do, but it was the right thing to do," he said. "A vote for Dave is a vote for Doug. A vote for Dave is a vote for this community."
A standing ovation from 200 attendees at the chamber forum greeted both announcements. It all unfolded as Prendergast sat in silence waiting for the Sheriff's portion of the forum to begin.
Prendergast has been under enormous public pressure in recent weeks. His agency's participation in the arrest of Lecanto man in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot angered many in his conservative base. He is openly confrontational with County Commissioners over budget issues.
When the wife of a critically injured deputy accused the Sheriff of planning to terminate her husband's employment, citizens reacted with outrage.
That has energized support for challengers who say Prendergast does not have the community's best interests at heart.
He has a huge lead financially. Prendergast, a two-term incumbent, has $168,989 cash on hand compared to Vincent's $24,650.
Vincent supporters said Friday they plan to combat the incumbent's money lead by fanning out across the county between now and Aug. 20.
Vincent was appreciative of the support.
"Great things happen when leaders unite," he said. "The three of us set out on a similar mission, and that's to bring the community back into our sheriff's office. Our united efforts will do that."
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