Ric Bradshaw was sworn in as Palm Beach County Sheriff on Sunday during a ceremony at Commons Park in Royal Palm Beach, marking the start of his sixth term in office.
Bradshaw’s sixth term solidifies his position as the longest-serving sheriff in the county’s history, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. He is the county’s 16th sheriff and brings more than five decades of law enforcement experience to the role. A U.S. Marine veteran, Bradshaw began his law enforcement career with the West Palm Beach Police Department, where he climbed the ranks to become chief of police before being first elected as sheriff in 2004.
In the November 2024 election, Bradshaw, a Democrat, defeated Republican challenger Michael Gauger, receiving 416,564 votes to Gauger’s 301,364. The 16-point margin of victory was narrower than the 30-point-plus wins Bradshaw secured in previous elections, including his 65% win in 2020, according to the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections website.
During his swearing-in ceremony, Bradshaw expressed gratitude for his supporters and emphasized the collective effort behind his victory.
“We won by the largest margin of any constitutional officer that was on the ballot. But that doesn’t happen by accident. I had a great team, and without that support, that doesn’t happen. But the community is where the rubber meets the road. To win by that big, the community is saying thank you for what you do. And it’s not just what I do; it’s the men and women of the sheriff’s office,” Bradshaw said.
Looking ahead, Bradshaw highlighted the challenges and opportunities in the next four years. He also touched on President-elect Donald Trump’s ties to Palm Beach County, joking about Trump’s reported plans to operate from the area.
“We cannot, under any circumstances, let anything happen to him. I heard the other day he’s thinking about running everything from here and just going to Washington once in a while. You can’t blame him; I wouldn’t want to go up there either,” Bradshaw quipped.
Bradshaw’s campaign emphasized his leadership in combating crime, citing the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office’s achievements in dismantling gangs, shutting down pill mills, apprehending cyber predators, and cracking down on human trafficking.
As he embarks on this historic sixth term, Ric Bradshaw’s focus remains on ensuring safety and progress for the Palm Beach County community.
