Pasco County Sheriff To Resign, Run For FL Senate Seat

PASCO COUNTY, FL — Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said that he’ll resign from the position in November to run for the District 21 state senate seat.

"As sheriff for the past 15 years, I have worked to keep our community safe and build strong partnerships across every part of our region," Nocco said in a statement shared to his campaign’s social media pages. "I've witnessed firsthand just how impactful decisions made in Tallahassee can be for the safety, security and prosperity of our state.”

He continued, "As a conservative Republican, I'm ready to fight for family-focused, Florida-first ideas that help create and support new businesses, protect the natural resources that drive our economy, and strengthen our place as the most law enforcement-friendly state in the union."

Nocco also posted a personal message to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office’s social media page, thanking county residents.

“It’s been an absolute blessing to serve this community and saying we fight as one is absolutely true,” he said. “I can’t thank the community [enough.] We rallied together. We have been through great times together. We have been through tough times together. But the one thing is we’ve been together, and we’ve been successful.”

He’s running for the seat being vacated by Sen. Ed Hooper when he retires, effective on Election Day, Nov. 3.

Gov. Ron DeSantis will hold a special election to fill the seat.

“I have been blessed to be trusted with an incredible 16 years of Legislative service. Though I have two years left on my term, Lee and I have decided the time has come to fully enjoy retirement, making as many memories as possible with friends and family,” Hooper said in a social media post about his resignation. “It will be very hard to say goodbye to the wonderful people we’ve come to know and love through this process. I’ll certainly never be able to fully express my gratitude for your support over the years.”

Nocco has served as Pasco County sheriff since being appointed to the role in 2011 by then-Gov. Rick Scott. He was elected to the position in 2012 and re-elected without opposition in 2016, 2020 and 2024, according to the PSO website.

Prior to becoming sheriff, he was a captain and major with PSO. Before joining the agency, Nocco served with the Philadelphia Public School Police, the Fairfax County (VA) Police Department and the Broward County (FL) Sheriff’s Office.

He also stepped away from law enforcement for several years to serve as the staff director in the Policy and Procedure Office of the Florida House of Representatives.