Former Clay County sheriff Darryl Daniels files to run for sheriff against Michelle Cook

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — Former Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels has filed to run for sheriff of the county he served for four years, Action News Jax learned on Thursday.

Daniels is listed as a No Party Affiliation (NPA) candidate on the Clay County Supervisor of Elections website.

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Daniels was first elected as a Republican in 2016. He lost to current Sheriff Michelle Cook in 2020.

With Daniels running as NPA this time around, Democrats will be able to vote for him in the primary election and he can go all the way to the general election.

Action News Jax previously told you in June 2019 when the Florida Department of Law Enforcement confirmed to Action News Jax that it was investigating Daniels after his relationship with a former Jacksonville corrections officer became public.

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The state accused Daniels of destroying evidence and lying to law enforcement after Cierra Smith’s arrest to inhibit the FDLE investigation, but Daniels’ defense argued Daniels was only trying to hide the details of his affair from his wife.

He was acquitted of all charges in September 2022.

Daniels released a statement after his acquittal, saying in part that he had to endure “abuse and overreach” for the past three years.

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