04-10-2008, 04:43 PM
BROOKSVILLE — Over the past few years, Luke Frazier has had a number of run-ins with the Hernando County Sheriff's Office. Now, Frazier aspires to direct the agency from the top spot.
Frazier, 23, launched an improbable bid to become the Hernando County sheriff on Wednesday, filing to run as a Democrat against two-time incumbent Richard Nugent, a Republican. Neither candidate has any primary opposition at this time.
Frazier has run for public office once before, a failed campaign for county commissioner as a 19-year-old in 2004. He had promised to govern by the precepts of the Bible and argued that most government levies, from animal registration fees to impact fees, are not legitimate and should be done away with.
He finished third with 16.1 percent of the vote in the District 1 Republican primary. Jeff Stabins won the primary and went on win in the general election later that year.
Frazier might face an even steeper challenge this time around. He'll be facing Nugent, who won the race for sheriff with 60 percent of the vote in 2004, and he'll likely have to deal with closer scrutiny of some of his own legal problems.
Frazier has been arrested at least four times since 2004. He was most recently charged with refusal to sign a citation and resisting a law enforcement officer in October 2006. Frazier later pleaded no contest and was sentenced to perform community service.
In April 2005, he was accused of sexual battery on a 21-year-old woman who fell asleep after taking pain medication. That charge was dropped.
In January 2006, Frazier was convicted of criminal solicitation to shelter an unmarried minor when he arranged to have a friend pick up a girl who was running away from her parents. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail.
And in September 2006, he was charged with organized fraud stemming from a scheme to resell damaged airplanes on the Internet. Arrest reports said that Frazier advertised the planes on eBay, craigslist and an aviation Web site, barnstormers.com, then sold them without mentioning they'd been exposed to corrosive saltwater. Prosecutors dropped the case in February.
Nugent said Wednesday that he stood on his four years as sheriff, and that he knew little about his opponent. "This is serious business," Nugent said of the election.
Frazier didn't immediately respond to two messages left on his cell phone Wednesday afternoon.
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Frazier, 23, launched an improbable bid to become the Hernando County sheriff on Wednesday, filing to run as a Democrat against two-time incumbent Richard Nugent, a Republican. Neither candidate has any primary opposition at this time.
Frazier has run for public office once before, a failed campaign for county commissioner as a 19-year-old in 2004. He had promised to govern by the precepts of the Bible and argued that most government levies, from animal registration fees to impact fees, are not legitimate and should be done away with.
He finished third with 16.1 percent of the vote in the District 1 Republican primary. Jeff Stabins won the primary and went on win in the general election later that year.
Frazier might face an even steeper challenge this time around. He'll be facing Nugent, who won the race for sheriff with 60 percent of the vote in 2004, and he'll likely have to deal with closer scrutiny of some of his own legal problems.
Frazier has been arrested at least four times since 2004. He was most recently charged with refusal to sign a citation and resisting a law enforcement officer in October 2006. Frazier later pleaded no contest and was sentenced to perform community service.
In April 2005, he was accused of sexual battery on a 21-year-old woman who fell asleep after taking pain medication. That charge was dropped.
In January 2006, Frazier was convicted of criminal solicitation to shelter an unmarried minor when he arranged to have a friend pick up a girl who was running away from her parents. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail.
And in September 2006, he was charged with organized fraud stemming from a scheme to resell damaged airplanes on the Internet. Arrest reports said that Frazier advertised the planes on eBay, craigslist and an aviation Web site, barnstormers.com, then sold them without mentioning they'd been exposed to corrosive saltwater. Prosecutors dropped the case in February.
Nugent said Wednesday that he stood on his four years as sheriff, and that he knew little about his opponent. "This is serious business," Nugent said of the election.
Frazier didn't immediately respond to two messages left on his cell phone Wednesday afternoon.
J