Ed Brodsky had already served 20 years inside the State Attorney’s Office in Florida’s 12th Judicial Circuit when he opted to run to lead the office after incumbent Earl Moreland announced he would be retiring in 2012. He was elected State Attorney that year, and was reelected in 2016. 

In June of 2017, one of the prosecutors in his office, Lisa Chittaro, decided to resign and then got into private practice. She now says a factor in her decision to leave the office was that there was a “bit of a cultural shift and maybe a little bit of complacency” after Brodsky took over.

Flash forward to January of this year, when she announced that she would challenge her former colleague in a GOP primary scheduled for August 18.

It’s not going to be easy. Since Brodsky became State Attorney in the 12th Circuit (which is made up of Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto counties), the number of crimes has continued to drop – something that Brodsky addresses immediately when asked why the voters should give him another four years in office. 

“We’ve seen crime go down dramatically,” he said while addressing Spectrum Bay News 9 in front of the Manatee County Courthouse. “Here in Manatee County, crime has gone down 54%. And I think that we’ve done that by being innovative – working very, very closely and collaboratively with our law enforcement partners, with our sheriff’s office here in Manatee County, with our police agencies and law enforcement throughout the region.”

Chittaro isn’t that impressed. She concedes some credit to Brodsky’s office, but notes that crime numbers have been dropping in the U.S. for years thanks to “aggressive reforms” passed locally, statewide and by President Trump. 

Brodsky is the establishment favorite to win his third term in office. He’s being supported by bigtime Sarasota Republicans like Joe Gruters and Greg Steube. And he’s raised more than $166,000 in the race, six times more than his GOP challenger.

Chittaro says that there have been specific actions by Brodsky in the past year that compelled her to challenge the incumbent, specifically mentioning the case of 27-year-old Sarasota resident Ryan Flanzer.

Flanzer allegedly shot four rounds from a handgun into a locked condominium door in May of 2018, before fleeing to a hotel and engaging in standoff with a SWAT team, according to the Sarasota-Herald Tribune. He received no jail time. And his attorney made a $1,000 donation to Brodsky’s reelection campaign during plea negotiations.

That’s spurred Chittaro to castigate Brodsky as engaging in “cash register justice.”

When asked about the criticism, Brodsky didn’t specifically address the case. Instead he spoke about how prosecutors are tasked daily with making difficult decisions.

“We have to make sentencing recommendations. We have to take into consideration a person’s criminal history. The nature of the offense. The victim’s wishes. And a whole host of information about the offender. Their characteristics. Their mental health history. And a number of other issues that are involved,” he said.

Another issue that Chittaro brings up involves the case of Sheena Morris, the 22-year-old who was discovered hanging in a shower stall in a Bradenton Beach hotel on New Year's Day, 2009. 

In January, Brodsky announced that he was referring the case to the Florida Attorney General’s Office of State Prosecution, the fifth time a law enforcement agency has examined the case.

But at a campaign forum last month, Brodsky said he personally believes that Morris did commit suicide.

“I was surprised on June 10th to hear that it was declared a suicide when there is a supposedly a current investigation going on,” Chittaro says. “The family had no idea. It’s been 11 years. This family deserves to know whether it’s a suicide or a homicide.”

“While there’s been four different agencies that have looked at and concluded that it’s a suicide, I believe that it’s important to be transparent, and to give every opportunity for truth and justice to be pursued,” Brodsky says. “Let another organization look at it. And if that satisfies justice in this case to find out and to have a real search – a real meaningful search for truth - that’s what it’s all about.” 

Other Issues

Manatee County Commissioners this week passed a county-wide mask mandate, which both candidates oppose.

In discussing criminal justice reform, the candidates were also asked their thoughts on the city of Sarasota decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana in 2019.  

Brodsky says he believes in letting local governments make those decisions. Chittaro said she didn’t believe the State Attorney should weigh in on any specific law.

In addition to support from topline Republicans, Brodsky has also been endorsed by several local PBA and Fraternity of Police chapters. 

Chittaro has the support of the Manatee County Tea Party, Women for Trump Florida, and most recently, the backing of Marion Hammer and the Florida chapter of the NRA.

The winner of the August 18 primary will take on Democrat Betsy Young in November.