Eliseo Santana is running to be the next sheriff of Pinellas County. Eliseo has made it his life’s work to keep Floridians safe, having served in the Florida Army National Guard and the US Army, in addition to working within the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office for 30 years. As the county sheriff’s communications maintenance supervisor, Eliseo spearheaded efforts to increase accountability and transparency by incorporating body cameras and audio equipment into deputies’ work. He was inspired to run following George Floyd’s murder and is committed to ending the racist policing practices that he witnessed during his time in law enforcement. 

As a veteran and retired law enforcement official, Eliseo has unique insight into the importance of protecting Floridians from gun violence. He understands that police violence is gun violence and will prioritize building trust with the communities he serves. This stands in stark contrast to the incumbent sheriff, whose response to the tragic 2018 mass shooting in Parkland was to increase the over-policing of schools, including arming more school personnel. Eliseo also understands that “Stand Your Ground” laws encourage vigilantism and enable disproportionate violence against Black and Brown Floridians, while his opponent supports these dangerous “shoot-first” policies. Eliseo is committed to improving public safety with evidence-based policies like universal background checks, extreme risk protection laws, and investment in community-based violence intervention programs. The citizens of Pinellas County can trust that Eliseo Santana will bring the systemic changes necessary to root out racism in policing and better protect their community.

We are proud to endorse Eliseo Santana for Pinellas County Sheriff in 2020.