Randy Fine speaks at the Florida Capitol in 2022 | Phil Sears, AP
Published on February 27, 2026 at 11:37 am
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The sheriff of St. Johns County says he will not rescind his endorsement of Florida congressman Randy Fine despite Fine’s recent controversial comments against Muslims.
Fine has been chastised nationally since saying last week that he prefers dogs over Muslims, in reaction to a post on social media.
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The uproar was only the latest involving the congressman, who previously called for the deportation of Muslim members of Congress, called critics of Israel “demons” and, earlier this month, posted on X.com that “Palestinian is a synonym for evil.”
At least one sheriff has withdrawn his endorsement of Fine, but as of publication time, Fine’s website still lists endorsements from Putnam County Sheriff Gator DeLoach, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly and St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick.
When asked by Jacksonville Today about his endorsement for the lawmaker, Hardwick said this week that he had spoken with his “faith-based advisory council” about the issue and will stay the course.
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“Whether you take it away or not, it’s still on the endorsement sheet out there originally,” Hardwick said. “So I have not rescinded my endorsement at this time.”
The controversy around Randy Fine
Fine made his most recent comments in response to a post from Palestinian activist Nerdeen Kiswani that dogs are “unclean” and should not be kept as indoor pets.
Days before the start of Ramadan, one of the holiest times of year for Muslims, Fine posted on social media, “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.”
Fine doubled down and has continued to post on social media about dogs. Kiswani, for her part, told NBC News that her post was satirical.
More than 50 organizations have called on Congress to censure Fine, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called him “Islamophobic, disgusting and unrepentant bigot.”
In Florida, Fine’s anti-Muslim comments lost him the support of Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, who posted on social media that he “can no longer support or endorse” the lawmaker.
“I realize now that the Congressman’s passionate rhetoric has crossed lines in the past,” Chitwood wrote on Facebook. “Beyond his latest controversy, I cannot endorse wishing for kids in Gaza to starve, or for Muslim American citizens to be expelled from the U.S.”
On his website, Fine touts other endorsements from Florida Reps. Sam Greco, Judson Sapp, John Rutherford and Kim Kendall, all of whom represent part of St. Johns County. Fine represents the southernmost part of the county in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Rutherford, Greco, Kendall and Sapp’s teams did not respond to requests for comment on Fine.
Fine’s address is listed in voter records as Melbourne Beach, but the Republican congressman represents Florida’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses parts of six counties, including St. Johns, Flagler and Putnam.
Fine won the seat in a special election after the previous congressman, Mike Waltz, took a job as President Donald Trump’s national security adviser last year. Waltz no longer holds that post — he was removed after a controversy surrounding unsecured text messages — but he still serves as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Fine’s seat will be up for grabs in the 2026 general election. Thirteen people, not including Fine, have filed to run for office.
