Scott, Peters, Meyer In Lead: Pinellas Election Results

Updated: 11:13 a.m., Wednesday

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — In the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners District 2 race, Democratic incumbent Pat Gerard trailed Republican challenger Brian Scott, according to unofficial results from the Pinellas County Supervisors of Elections office as of 10:31 p.m. on Tuesday.

“Last night Pinellas County voters sent a clear message that they are ready for a new kind of leadership on the county commission based on real-world results and business experience — not government mandates and tax hikes,” Scott wrote in a Wednesday morning Facebook post. “I'm so proud and humbled that Pinellas families have put their faith in me to protect their rights and tax dollars on the commission. Thank you to everyone who supported this campaign and helped us reach this goal. I'm so excited to work together to ensure Pinellas County remains and an incredible place to call home.”

Gerard shared in a Facebook post on Wednesday that she reached out to Scott to congratulate him on his win.

“To all of the incredible people on this team with me: thank you. Over the last (eight) years, we were able to build a thriving and prosperous Pinellas with greater inclusion and opportunity than ever before,” she wrote. “We now hand that project off to the new board and wish them well in supporting this community. As for me personally, on or off the commission, I will continue to serve the people of Pinellas County. Thank you again to everyone who works so hard to make Pinellas the best place to live in Florida.”

Meanwhile, in two school board races, unofficial results showed Dawn Peters and Stephanie Meyers with a lead over their opponents in Districts 3 and 6, respectively, Tuesday night.

“Thank you, Pinellas County! Tonight, parents said they want change and they have it! Huge win for our children, teachers, parents and our country,” Peters wrote in a Facebook post. “I can't thank enough people. My volunteers!!! You are all amazing and this victory belongs to you. Now the work begins.”

Her opponent, Dr. Keesha Benson, said in a video shared to her campaign Facebook page, “We ran a remarkable campaign focused on making sure that we were looking out for all children and school staff and parents and teachers. Congratulations to Dawn Peters for winning the school board seat and I will tell you, we have so much work to do. I’m excited to continue that work with you. As I said, I have a 6-, 8- and 10-year-old, so no matter what, I’ll be deeply involved in Pinellas County Schools and the work will continue. Thank you. This is not a goodbye. This is a, hey you know where I am. Feel free to find me and all the best and thank you for a fantastic campaign.”

Patch has reached out to Meyer for a comment on the results.

In a Facebook post, her opponent, Brian Martin, wrote, “Thank you for all of the support over the past few months. I called and congratulated Stephanie Meyer last night and wished her a great term on the school board. While the outcome of the election wasn't what we had wanted, I'm hopeful that we can all work together to make our schools great places to learn and work.”

See the chart at the bottom of this story for live results from Pinellas County.

Pinellas County Commission

For the District 2 at-large seat, Gerard went up against challenger Scott.

Gerard was first elected to the District 2 seat in 2014. Before that, she was the first female mayor of Largo and also served as a victim advocate for the Largo Police Department, director of the Spouse Abuse Shelter of Religious Community Services, and COO and chief grants officer of Family Resources Inc., according to her campaign website.

Since she was first elected, she “has championed efforts to make county facilities and offices run more efficiently, increase the availability of affordable housing, sustainable jobs and behavioral health services, and make government more accessible to citizens and businesses,” she wrote.

According to Scott’s campaign website, “From serving as a director of the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority and president of the Florida Motorcoach Association to testifying before Congress twice regarding transportation issues, Brian has gained a deep understanding of public service and business advocacy. On the Pinellas County Commission, he will fight for the conservative values that make Pinellas great.”

He's the president of Escot Bus Lines, which operates throughout Florida.

Pinellas County School Board

After the August primary election, two school board races went to a run-off on Tuesday.

In District 3, Benson and Peters vied for the seat.

Benson wrote on her campaign website, “I am running for the school board because I believe in healthy children, strong families, and engaged communities. As an educator, I know what student-centric quality education looks like. As a Pinellas County resident, I want to ensure an educated citizenry as the future of our community. As a parent, I will advocate for the needs of every child in Pinellas County as if they were my own.”

She earned a doctorate in social and served as an educator for more than a decade. She’s also served as the director of Thrive by Five Pinellas and the manager for the Grow Smarter Initiative.

“Because schools are the foundation of our community, state and nation, Dawn believes it is critical to have the best education system for all children and families. Dawn is committed to transparency and achieving real change in our schools that will provide equal opportunity for all students to receive the best education possible,” according to Peters’ campaign website.

She previously served as a certified substitute preschool teacher, an elementary school mentor and a PTA officer. She’s currently president of a volunteer group that serves Pinellas County veterans and is a certified personal trainer and nutritionist.

Two candidates — Martin and Meyer — hoped to be elected to represent District 6 on the school board.

Martin earned a degree in chemical engineering and is a small business owner with four children enrolled in public schools. He’s worked as a process and application engineer in the water and wastewater treatment industry.

Among his primary goals is ignoring “divisive politicization” of public schools, school safety, educational access, and support for teachers and staff, according to his campaign website.

“Florida deserves dedicated public servants on our school boards that won’t inject politics into the classroom, but rather work every day to fight for the best interests of our students and educators,” he wrote.

Meyer, who previously worked for a Fortune 100 company, is now a high school advanced placement social studies teacher and college professor.

According to her campaign website, her primary initiatives include redirecting funds directly into the classroom, and recruiting and retaining teachers by offering better pay, providing students educational opportunities that reflect their individual needs, and protecting parental rights in education.

REAL-TIME RESULTS

PINELLAS COUNTY: BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, DISTRICT 2

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, DISTRICT 3 (AT LARGE)

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, DISTRICT 6 (SINGLE MEMBER)