Everett Rice for Sheriff

* * * * * JOIN US ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 11 * * * * *

You are invited to a
Fundraiser Reception benefiting
Everett Rice for Sheriff

Hosted by General Manager Charles Haimes

Come meet the Candidate

Ker's WingHouse
34900 US Highway 19 North
Palm Harbor 34684

Saturday February 11
5:00pm - 7:00pm

* * * * * JOIN US ON FRIDAY FEBRUARY 17 * * * * *

You are invited to a
Fundraiser Reception benefiting
Everett Rice for Sheriff

Hosted by
Peter Kreuziger
& Karl Riedl

Come meet the Candidate

Bon Appetit
150 Marina Plaza Drive
Dunedin 34698

Friday February 17
6:00pm - 8:00pm

* * * * * PETITION DRIVE COMPLETE * * * * *

Congratulations to Team Rice for a job well done!

Our petition drive is completed.

We are now Certified by petition for the ballot.

Thank You Pinellas County!!!!!

* * * * *
* * * * *

EVERETT RICE FUNDRAISING EXCEEDS
ALL OTHER CANDIDATES COMBINED

* * * * *
* * * * *

Thanks to all of Everett Rice's contributors for an excellent 4th Quarter!

Everett Rice's campaign for Pinellas Sheriff has now outraised all the other candidates' fundraising efforts combined.

Candidate

Total to Date

Everett Rice

$ 205,462.10

Bob Gualtieri

$ 122,702.00

Randy Heine

$ 30,844.77

Tim Ingold

$ 18,249.00

Scott Swope

$ 8,876.31

Source: Pinellas Supervisor of Elections

* * * * * "Rice well ahead in Pinellas sheriff fundraising" * * * * *

From the Tampa Bay Times blog Bay Buzz:

JANUARY 11, 2012

Rice well ahead in Pinellas sheriff fundraising

Pinellas sheriff hopeful Everett Rice is far-outpacing his competitors in campaign contributions, according to the latest filings with the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections.

At the end of the most recent reporting period, which went through Dec. 31, former Sheriff Rice reported total contributions of $205,000. Current Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, who was appointed to take over last fall when outgoing Sheriff Jim Coats resigned, reported $122,700 in funds raised during the same three-quarter period. Fellow Republican and former police union president Tim Ingold has brought in $18,000 over the last two quarters.

Rice and Gualtieri were neck-and-neck in fundraising in the spring, with both reporting about $70,000 raised between April 1 and June 30. But Rice made huge strides over the summer, reporting about $94,000 in contributions, compared to Gualtieri's $33,000. Both dropped off toward the end of the year, typical as campaigns head into the holiday season, with Rice posting $40,000 in the last quarter and Gualtieri reporting about $19,000.

Democratic candidate Randy Heine, a Pinellas Park shop owner who supports the legalization of marijuana, reported $31,000 in total contributions over three quarters. Democratic competitor Scott Swope, an attorney and former deputy, reported about $8,875, though he didn't file until September, so reported for the last two quarters only.

* * * * * OPEN LETTER FROM EVERETT RICE * * * * *

Dear Friends,

When I previously served as your Pinellas County Sheriff, I challenged a local ballot initiative that limited the terms of all Pinellas County elected officials to two terms of four years per term.

I instigated a lawsuit to stop this attempt to limit the terms of the Sheriff because it was in derogation of the independent constitutional office of Sheriff in Pinellas County. While I maintained opposition to the county term limits law, I promised to not seek re-election after two more terms. I kept that promise and did not run again in 2004, even though the term limits law was struck down in 2002 by the Florida Supreme Court (just as I had predicted), and I could have easily won re-election. Because of my efforts, today there are no term limits for any Pinellas County elected official.

I fought at great political peril to keep the office of Sheriff independent and answerable only to the people. I kept my promise by staying out of the office for two terms. I left the Sheriff’s Office unblemished and undefeated.

My record of professional leadership is undisputed. Every year that I served as your Sheriff, I moved the office forward and presented balanced budgets to the County Commission. I changed the office’s prior reputation for brutality, corruption and incompetence. I modernized the agency with new technology, and I merged six local police agencies into the Sheriff’s office thereby saving tens of millions of dollars in local taxes. The list of other accomplishments is too long to include here.

This past Spring, former Sheriff Jim Coats admitted that he had a plan to quit the job some day and get his deputy appointed Sheriff by Governor Scott without an election. Because of Coats’ comments and the ensuing uncertainty of leadership at the Sheriff’s office, many people urged me to return. In May, I decided to seek election to return to the office.

Since beginning this campaign, hundreds of citizens have donated to my campaign, and thousands have signed my petition to be placed on the ballot. My campaign is endorsed by State Attorney General Pam Bondi, State Senator Dennis Jones and numerous other public figures. I am very grateful for this outpouring of support for me to return as your Sheriff.

I need your help and would be honored to add you to my list of financial supporters.

If you have any questions after reviewing this website, please call me at (727) 365-1298, or send me email at Everett@EverettRice.com.

Sincerely,

Everett S. Rice

* * * * *
* * * * *

FLORIDA'S ATTORNEY GENERAL
PAM BONDI ENDORSES EVERETT RICE

* * * * *
* * * * *

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 4, 2011

Pam Bondi endorses Rice for Sheriff

PINELLAS COUNTY — Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has officially endorsed Everett Rice for Pinellas County Sheriff.

"As a former prosecutor, and now Attorney General, I've been committed to making our families and communities safer, while protecting the rights and freedoms we enjoy as Floridians — and Americans.

"Everett Rice not only believes we should serve and protect others, he's lived it with a record that stands as a tribute to the best in law enforcement.

"Everett Rice has my support, and others, because he's earned it — every day he wore the badge," Bondi said.

Rice has spent 33 years in the Sheriff’s Department and served as Sheriff for 16 years.

"I am honored to have the Attorney General’s endorsement. My plan to streamline the Sheriff’s Office so we can have fewer deputies behind a desk and more deputies on our streets is being welcomed by residents all over Pinellas," said Rice.

Everett Rice joined the U.S. Maritime Service at 18 years old. During his four years as a seaman, Everett served in Southeast Asia transporting military supplies to Vietnam. At 23 years old, Everett became a Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputy. In 18 years at the Sheriff’s Office, Everett was promoted to, and he served in every rank, up through chief of detectives. Everett left the Sheriff’s Office to attend law school.

Everett was elected Pinellas Sheriff in 1988, he reformed the Sheriff’s Office and it soon gained a reputation for professionalism and advances in technology. He merged six municipal police departments into the Sheriff’s Office — providing huge tax savings to those cities while providing a high level of professional police service. As Chairman of the Florida Sheriffs Association Legislative Committee, and as the President of the Florida Sheriffs Association, Everett earned his reputation for being tough on crime by authoring the popular Stop Turning Out Prisoners Act that would ensure criminals spend at least 85% of their sentences behind bars.

During Everett’s law enforcement career, he served on many boards and received many awards. Everett is a graduate of both the FBI National Academy and the FBI National Executive Institute. In 2004, after four successful terms as Sheriff, Everett left the office and became a member of the Florida Legislature. Everett co-authored and co-sponsored the Jessica Lunsford Act, which created the nation's toughest penalties for sexual predators. In 2006, Everett left the Legislature and for the past four years he has worked as an attorney with Barry A. Cohen at the law firm Cohen, Foster & Romine PA.

###

* * * * * DENNIS JONES ENDORSES EVERETT RICE * * * * *

Click here to download the Senator Dennis Jones' endorsement letter PDF:

* * * * * OPEN LETTER FROM EVERETT RICE * * * * *

Dear Friend,

As you have probably heard, I have announced my intention of running for Sheriff of Pinellas County to replace Jim Coats who recently announced he will not run for another term.

My decision was made after having received lots of encouragement from folks in Pinellas and around the Tampa Bay area to consider entering this race.

Thanks to your past support, I have been able to help serve and protect Pinellas County for many years. It was an honor to serve as your Sheriff and as a member of the State House of Representatives.

My focus has always been on public safety and developing a community that works together to make us safer.

As a lawman and attorney, I will use my experience to keep criminals off our streets and to fight crime and defend the rights of our citizens. I am better prepared for the diverse duties required of this office because of my background and years of commitment to our county. You know you can trust me to uphold our laws and our values. I will work tirelessly to protect our freedoms while tightening the security of Pinellas County.

Thanks for all the help you have given me in the past, and I look forward to serving you again as your Sheriff.

Sincerely,

Everett S. Rice


	Please mail contributions payable to "Everett Rice Campaign Account" to: Everett Rice for Pinellas County Sheriff P.O. Box 7600 Seminole FL 33775-7600		Contact Everett and the Campaign Team: (727) 365-1298 Everett@EverettRice.com

	The maximum that an individual or business may contribute is $500 per election cycle.		Contributions to the campaign of Everett Rice for Pinellas County Sheriff are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.

	Political advertisement paid for and approved by Everett Rice, Republican, for Pinellas County Sheriff