Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony is getting a political baptism by fire in an election that reads like a Hollywood screenplay with racy photos, a secret decades-old killing and a bitter union fight.
Tony, 41, rode into arguably the most high-profile post in Broward County as an unknown who had the crucial backing of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
His vetting in January 2019 appeared rushed and hurried by the governor’s office. But now the first-time candidate who is running as a Democrat is combating an onslaught of salacious headlines that show just how bruising South Florida politics can be.