Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower and Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood traded jabs this week ahead of the Tuesday general election, in which both will be up for another term in office. With a contentious runoff to get through, Brower is fighting a not insignificant challenge. Chitwood faces a much more likely path to re-election.
The conflict started when Brower said that Chitwood was a bully in an interview to the Daytona Beach News-Journal. Over the years he's been in office, Chitwood has never shied from personal insults to alleged criminals and others, and has recently started the controversial practice of publicly shaming minors accused of threatening schools. "I think he's a bully to a lot of people and that's not the job of the sheriff," Brower said as reported by the DBNJ.
Chitwood, never one to back down a public rebuke, took to his personal Facebook to return fire against Brower. "Our feckless, inept county chairman wants a new sheriff he can control," Chitwood said. "From the beginning of his term, our lying county chair never had the ability to lead. But in 4 short years he has managed to lose the respect of just about every state and local leader."
He also accused Brower of committing what amounts to slander against a deputy and threatening that 'hell will come down on Volusia County' after the election, a reference to a comment Brower made about his stance on anti-corruption. A comment by Chitwood likened James Powers, the Brower-endorsed opponent to Chitwood, as Brower's running-mate. Powers' mugshot was used, and he referred to the pair as 'The Born Liar & The Criminal'.
Brower shot back Friday morning with a response to Chitwood's post directly. "Sheriff, I have one question for you. Do I have the same constitutional and law enforcement protection as any other Volusia County resident? How about my family?"
The statement appears to insinuate the possibility of different treatment from the Volusia Sheriff's Office as a result of Brower's opposition to Chitwood. It stops short of a full-on accusation, but if Brower's suggestion were true it would implicate Chitwood as complicit at best in the event of political violence against Brower or his family. As of late Friday morning, Chitwood has not yet responded.
Brower faces car dealer Randy Dye on the general election ballot this Tuesday, while Chitwood faces the aforementioned Powers. Brower and Dye advanced to a runoff from the August four-way primary, while Powers was Chitwood's only challenger.
Both men are asking the voters of the entirety of Volusia County to entrust them with another four years in office. Both are among the most influential elected leaders in the county, who currently do and will still have to work directly with one another in the event they're both re-elected.
