Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco is stepping down to run for state Senate
By Carl Lisciandrello
May 14, 2026 at 5:17 AM EDT
Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco announced Wednesday he will step down in November to seek election in the state Senate.
Nocco, 50, made the announcement a day after Clearwater Republican Sen. Ed Hooper, whose District 21 covers northern Pinellas County and southeastern Pasco County, said he was retiring and would not seek reelection.
"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 Wednesday. "I've witnessed firsthand just how impactful decisions made in Tallahassee can be for the safety, security and prosperity of our state.
"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 thanked the community in a separate video message on social media:
The election is Nov. 3.
In 2011, Nocco was a major with the sheriff's office when he was appointed by then-Gov. Rick Scott to finish the term of the retiring Bob White. Nocco was elected without opposition the following year and reelected each subsequent four years, most recently in 2024.
Nocco comes from a law enforcement family and has said it was a childhood dream to be a police officer. That career began in Philadelphia and Virginia after graduation from the University of Delaware in 1998.
However, he has experience in government. In 2004, he worked with the Republican Party of Florida as the Broward County field director during the presidential campaign of George W. Bush and later became a staff director for the state House Policy and Procedure Office.
In 2006, he became deputy chief of staff for then-House Speaker Marco Rubio. After Rubio's term ended in 2008, Nocco worked as chief of staff for the Florida Highway Patrol before joining the Pasco sheriff's office as a captain in 2009.
In 2017, Nocco was appointed to the Florida Constitution Revision Commission by then-House Speaker Richard Corcoran.
Nocco's wife, Bridget, is a lobbyist with Ballard Partners and a Republican fundraiser. They have three children and live in Odessa.
Hooper, 78, was first elected to the House in 2006 before moving to the Senate in 2018. He also served as Senate Appropriations chair the past two years.
Nocco, 50, made the announcement a day after Clearwater Republican Sen. Ed Hooper, whose District 21 covers northern Pinellas County and southeastern Pasco County, said he was retiring and would not seek reelection.
"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 Wednesday. "I've witnessed firsthand just how impactful decisions made in Tallahassee can be for the safety, security and prosperity of our state.
"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 thanked the community in a separate video message on social media:
The election is Nov. 3.
In 2011, Nocco was a major with the sheriff's office when he was appointed by then-Gov. Rick Scott to finish the term of the retiring Bob White. Nocco was elected without opposition the following year and reelected each subsequent four years, most recently in 2024.
Nocco comes from a law enforcement family and has said it was a childhood dream to be a police officer. That career began in Philadelphia and Virginia after graduation from the University of Delaware in 1998.
However, he has experience in government. In 2004, he worked with the Republican Party of Florida as the Broward County field director during the presidential campaign of George W. Bush and later became a staff director for the state House Policy and Procedure Office.
In 2006, he became deputy chief of staff for then-House Speaker Marco Rubio. After Rubio's term ended in 2008, Nocco worked as chief of staff for the Florida Highway Patrol before joining the Pasco sheriff's office as a captain in 2009.
In 2017, Nocco was appointed to the Florida Constitution Revision Commission by then-House Speaker Richard Corcoran.
Nocco's wife, Bridget, is a lobbyist with Ballard Partners and a Republican fundraiser. They have three children and live in Odessa.
Hooper, 78, was first elected to the House in 2006 before moving to the Senate in 2018. He also served as Senate Appropriations chair the past two years.