Lisa Sprague Press Conference - Focus on The Issues

Repost From Tallahassee.com

Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell. / Democrat file photo

Written by

Jeff Burlew

Senior government editor

Lisa Sprague, candidate for Leon County sheriff. / Jeff Burlew/Democrat

Lisa Sprague, who’s running for Leon County sheriff, went on the offensive Monday, accusing Sheriff Larry Campbell of using foul and sexist language on the campaign trail, something he strongly denies.  Sprague, a former deputy police chief at Florida State University, convened a news conference at the Florida Press Center in which several speakers representing women’s organizations spoke out against Campbell.
“For the sake of all women, let’s be respectful, let’s stick to the issues, let’s talk about things that are important to the citizens in the community and let the voters decide what they’re going to do,” Sprague told the Tallahassee Democrat. “There’s no need for name-calling.”


Campbell, who’s running for a fifth term, denied the allegations, saying the Sprague campaign is “going wild” trying to draw him into a public confrontation in a bid for publicity.

“What these people are trying to do is take somebody that the people in this community have known basically my entire life and make me out a villain,” Campbell said. “I’m not a villain. I work for the people.”
Sprague said Campbell used foul language to her face after she greeted him before an Aug. 2 candidate forum at the Dade Street Community Center. Campbell, however, said he merely said, “How you?” to Sprague. Campbell and Sprague agree no one else was close enough to overhear the exchange.
She also produced a letter sent to her Wednesday by Scott Matteo, who ran for County Commission in 2010, saying he attended a luncheon where Campbell, who was in uniform, repeatedly used a derogatory term to refer to her. Matteo said in the letter that the lunch happened several months ago, though he didn’t provide other details, including its location. He couldn’t be reached for comment.

“My feeling at the time was that this was a term that he generally used when referring to you or your campaign,” Matteo wrote.  Campbell said he “totally and unequivocally” denies Matteo’s allegation and attributed it to the political season.

Speakers who lined up to condemn Campbell included Tabitha Frazier, who’s running for Leon Soil & Water Conservation District 3 supervisor and was representing the Women’s Campaign Fund; Agnes Furey, a member of the Florida League of Women Voters; Veronique Tolliver, president of the Capital City Democratic Women’s Club; and Rachel Pienta, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Club of Florida.
Some taking part in the news conference criticized Campbell for referring to Sprague as “that woman” during the forum and another hosted Aug. 7 by County Commissioner Bill Proctor. The speakers said the use of demeaning language only discourages women from running for office.


“It is time to cast our votes based on how well equipped the candidate is for the office that he or she seeks rather than the equipment he or she carries below their belt,” Pienta said.