With a Bullet

Udolf's own campaign disclosure forms show he's raised money from among the fraternity of former colleagues at the U.S. Attorney's Office, many of whom have graduated to private practice.

For his part, Israel has vowed not to play favorites and says he will "rebuild fences" damaged by Jenne's administration.

In an interview with New Times, Israel points out that none of the internal affairs allegations were sustained and, what's more, that the incidents represented a tiny fraction of the 1,500 arrests he made.

Israel has his own questions about Udolf's background. "As a defense attorney and prosecutor, perhaps his career has prepared him to run for judge or state attorney, but he's not prepared to run for Broward County sheriff," Israel says. "This is not a job for an attorney. This is a job for someone who has worked in law enforcement." At the Koinonia forum, Israel was even more explicit: "This job has my name written all over it."

Sitting in the next chair, Udolf rolled his eyes.

Israel, Udolf says, has exaggerated the importance of law enforcement experience. "If you want someone who's going to rappel from a roof and crash through your living-room window," Udolf says with a chuckle, "then maybe I'm not the candidate for you." He suggests the sheriff's job puts a premium on good judgment, where he claims a distinct advantage over his rivals.

At least one prominent campaign observer, Florida Sen. Steve Geller, believes this to be Udolf's fatal flaw. It may be true that recent history suggests prominent legal figures win the sheriff's race, but Geller believes that a candidate who has that in common with Jenne will be hard-pressed to win the public's trust. "After what happened with [Jenne], I think right now the public wants a sworn officer," Geller observes. "And I think Bruce thought it was business as usual and that a former prosecutor or judge could win the election."

Geller, who has represented Hollywood in the legislature for 20 years, has given his endorsement to Rick Lemack, former assistant chief of the Hollywood Police Department and the current assistant city manager. Lemack has been the most energetic campaigner, touting his pedigree of law enforcement experience and City Hall management. Of course, that experience took place in Hollywood, where the Police Department has been buffeted by corruption cases and where the city has blundered away millions of tax dollars. Lemack's name has not been linked to these failings, but any ties to that troubled city could spook voters.

Lemack denies it will be a factor. "A few people went the wrong way and have been disciplined," he says, "but it shouldn't overshadow the good that's being done in the city."

At the Miami Beach funeral of Steve Chaykin on August 4, Udolf was to be the last speaker, coming after Chaykin's brother, his sister, University of Miami President Donna Shalala, and several attorney friends. In his remarks, Udolf told of how in the years since they left the U.S. Attorney's Office, both he and Chaykin talked about how they'd love to return as the top man, finally in a position to make good on their ideals for busting bad guys. He closed by saying, "Someday, in my best moment, I hope to be a little more like him."

But to David DeMaio, an attorney who worked in that office with Udolf and Chaykin, their two characters had long since become identical. "He knew Bruce better than anybody," DeMaio says of Chaykin. "The fact that they were the best of friends, that speaks volumes — because of how carefully Steve picked his friends. All of the things you heard them say about Steve you could say about Bruce."

Chaykin would have been a contender for U.S. attorney had he lived to see his favorite candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, win the presidency this November. If Udolf fails to win the Broward sheriff's race, there's little doubt that he'll be angling to be the region's top federal prosecutor. And even if he does become sheriff, a U.S. attorney post might still entice him. "It's not an either/or situation," Udolf says coyly.

Whether he wins or loses his bid for sheriff, it seems the instinct that prompted his bid has been awakened. Udolf calls public service "the most rewarding work in my professional career," and it's clear that he's attracted to a specific public service: one that calls for heroism. "If the last elected sheriff wasn't sitting in jail and if there weren't scandals about falsification of statistics or deputies arrested for protecting what they thought was a narcotics organization, I wouldn't feel a burning need to do this," Udolf says. "I would make my return to public service in some other capacity — but this seemed to be the role where I could be most useful."