The Race is on!!!!!!!!

INDAILY | Vol. 7, No. 44, November 1, 2007

News: Santa Rosa Races to Watch

by Duwayne Escobedo
With elections only a year away, two races in Santa Rosa County that are heating up and much watched are the sheriff's and school superintendent's races.
The sheriff's race pits two-term incumbent Wendell Hall against challengers Robert Randle, a Gulf Breeze's deputy police chief and Jeff Van Camp, a 23-year veteran with the Escambia County Sheriff's Office.

The Santa Rosa County School District Superintendent's race is currently between Pace High School assistant principal Herb Cannon and the school district's assistant superintendent of curriculum Timothy Wyros****.

If third quarter finance reports are any indication in the sheriff's race, Hall has his hands full. Hall collected $2,800 between July 1 and Sept. 30 and has $6,700 total in his campaign.

Hall is losing the funding race, so far, to Randle, who collected $16,050 after announcing his campaign Aug. 23. Randle's funding so far comes mostly from Gulf Breeze residents and business leaders.

Meanwhile, Van Camp collected $12,141 total in the third quarter, including $9,741 in cash and checks. Van Camp, who announced his campaign in February, has $22,443 total.

In the superintendent's race, Cannon and Wyros**** are running for the seat after Johnny Rogers announced in August his retirement when his term ends.

Cannon and Wyros**** are running neck-and-neck for campaign funds. Cannon raised $1,375 total and Wyros**** took in $1,630 total.

Stay tuned.

HO freakin' HUM

Political races are as much a beauty contest as anything. Our Sheriff is the most photogenic candidate. My money is on Hall. Remember where you heard it first! 8)

Remember too that Hall has not even begun to raise money. He has his hands full of the Governor Christ betrayal of law enforcement. And Van Camp i would hope would be smart enough NOT TO SLING MUD with what is in his background. Van Camp is a nice guy but when you have ON RECORD several sexual harassment investigations and cheating on the sergeant's exam at ECSO and this is ON RECORD for the public or news to get then don't sling mud. He needs to run his campaign on the basis of his qualifications and what he's going to do for SRC and leave the mud in the middle of the road where it belongs.

So what you're saying, previous guest, is that Jeff shouldn't sling mud against Wendall like you just slung on Jeff?

I don't work or live there, so i don't have a dog in this fight, but I've worked with both of them. It wouldn't take much digging to find Wendall's skeletons. I was shocked that some didn't come out when he was first elected. I'll be even more shocked if they don't come out this time.

who slung first my good man?

Remember too that Hall has not even begun to raise money. He has his hands full of the Governor Christ betrayal of law enforcement. And Van Camp i would hope would be smart enough NOT TO SLING MUD with what is in his background. Van Camp is a nice guy but when you have ON RECORD several sexual harassment investigations and cheating on the sergeant's exam at ECSO and this is ON RECORD for the public or news to get then don't sling mud. He needs to run his campaign on the basis of his qualifications and what he's going to do for SRC and leave the mud in the middle of the road where it belongs.

Don't sling mud without the facts! An investigation was made on allegations only, nothing was found to be true so don't go making things up to make Van Camp look bad!

Look guy. I'm afraid you don't know what you're talking about as usual. If you want to push it someone can call the independent news and give them a copy of it. but let's let it drop. jeff is a nice guy and he shouldn't have made the statement to the independent news in the first edition of the "buzz" about Hall. Let it drop. Don't make anyone prove what they KNOW and can PROVE to be true. this is SRC and in the midst of every fundamental church in the area. allegations of such things that we WON'T repeat would be damaging to him. don't push it. let the candidates compete on their own platforms. DROP IT! Escambia is full of people that have already requested and obtain copies of what you're not aware of. The Independent News would love a mud slinging debate. the more dirt the better but why don't we keep our eye on the ball and let them battle their platforms and not give anyone any more ammunition! Or is it you that wants to sling the mud!

Dang... just drop it? Ha! It's just starting to get warmed up. To suggest that anyone in this area would stop talking about any kind of rumor, innuendo, truth, or not, is ridiculous. I would bet that anyone with 20+ years in law enforcement has a skeleton or two somewhere, that he's trying to keep hidden. Unfortunately, some of the skeletons aren't hidden at all and have been well known in certain circles for a while now... The challenge is to prove such things so they can't be disputed.

It's rumored that Wendell likes to drink a lot (remember the good ol' boat crash a few years ago) and that he used to be a bit too close to a young lady...

It's rumored that Van Camp cheated on a Sgt's test and has some sexual harassment complaints against him... not to mention he hasn't made any kind of rank in 20+ years...

Randle has got to have something out there, I'm just not sure what yet (please fill me in if you find out)...

The point being, they're all rumors right now until someone steps forward with cold, hard facts. Should we stop talking about it? Hell no. The character of the Sheriff is important. He or she represents the entire department and the employees should be proud of their leader, and the citizens should trust their Sheriff. Integrity and honesty is all you got. If you have a drunk, affair having, lying, cheating, harassing sheriff, then you aint got much, do ya?

And please, don't compare the SR sheriff to Escambia's Sheriff. The citizens in Escambia know he's a lying, cheating, law breaking, good ol' boy who gets away with everything... and they still vote him in office. Crazy.

There are many important factors that will decide this sheriffs race. The integrity of the candidate should be one of them. Their good looks, as someone posted earlier, shouldn't matter, unless you happen to like the rediculous look of a grown man in tights and a mask... ick.

Take the time to find out about the candidates. Call them, talk to them, ask other law enforcement professionals about them. Rumors are just that... go straight to the horse's mouth.

Wendell Hall: www.reelectsheriffhall.com


Robert Randle: www.randleforsheriff.com


Jeff Van Camp: www.vancampforsheriff.org

Well said Scared! Well said. Couldn't agree with you more!