Vincent “Vent” Crawford has been elected as the next sheriff of Hardee County.
The Hardee County native won the Republican primary election for a spot on the general election ballot. Five candidates ran in the universal primary to replace Arnold Lanier as the next sheriff.
On Tuesday, Crawford beat Kevin White, a no-party candidate, for the sheriff’s seat.
Crawford retired from the Florida Highway Patrol, where he said he worked in many capacities after starting at his first station in 1983 in Miami. For the last 14 years, he’s been working with the Hardee County Fair, including as its vice president and on its board.
He teaches at South Florida State College’s adult education program. He also has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of South Florida and is finishing up a master’s degree in criminal justice from American Military University.
Crawford’s campaign for sheriff focused on this list of priorities: crime prevention, accountability, school safety, focus on community and modernizing administrative processes.
The Hardee County Sheriff’s Office has about 110 employees. The sheriff is elected to a four-year term.
Hardee is a small, rural county in southwest Central Florida with nearly 28,000 residents. One highway crosses the county -- Highway 17 -- and connects its three towns of Zolfo Springs, Bowling Green and Wauchula, the county seat.
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