Pinellas Co. Commission, School Board Primary Election: What To Know

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — Voters will decide on two available Pinellas County Commission seats during Tuesday’s primary election, and choose four members of the Pinellas County School Board.

Who’s running for the Pinellas County Commission?

In three districts, candidates are running unchallenged — Republican Chris Latvala in District 5, Republican Kathleen Peters in District 6 and Democrat Rene Flowers in District 7.

Both Peters and Flowers are incumbents, while Latvala joins the board after serving as a Florida state House representative.

For the District 2 at-large seat, Republicans will decide between Debbie Buschman and Brian Scott as the party’s nominee. The winner will face Democrat incumbent Pat Gerard in the Nov. 8 general elections.

“I’m running for county commissioner because Pinellas County needs a proven leader with unquestioned conservative values and an innovative vision for the future. I’m running for County Commissioner so that future generations will call Pinellas County home and will be proud of the decisions we make,” Buschman wrote on her campaign website.

She was elected to the office of fire commissioner for the Palm Harbor Special Fire Control and Rescue District. She also serves on the board of directors for Pinellas Pace Center for Girls.

“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,” according to Scott’s campaign website.

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

In District 4, there are just two Republicans on the ballot — incumbent Dave Eggers and challenger Heather Aynne Vernillo. The winner of Tuesday’s primary will win the seat.

“Pinellas County is a model for individual freedom, pro-business policy, environmental stewardship and being a compassionate community. From our students to our Veterans, our beaches to our Main Streets, I’ll fight to keep Pinellas prosperous for every resident and preserve the things that make our home such an incredible place to live,” Eggers wrote on his campaign website.

The business owner and real estate broker has sat on the commission since 2014 and was previously the mayor of Dunedin.

According to Vernillo’s campaign website, “Your candidate knows the value of being connected. That's why I am running for this position. Help me help you. As a small business owner in Palm Harbor and having children attending school in Tarpon Springs, I want to make sure that we continue to make North Pinellas a great place to live.”

She owns Vernillo Health & Wellness in Palm Harbor and is an advanced practice registered nurse with Florida Independent Practice in Primary Care.

Who’s running for the Pinellas County School Board?

Four school board seats are up for grabs in Tuesday’s primary.

In District 2, Lisa Cane, Brad S. DeCorte and Bronson Oudshoff are all vying for the seat.

Cane, the incumbent, is the founder and creative director of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Academy and president of Nicola Productions Inc. She is also the former musical theater director at Calvary Christian High School and a former music teacher at Young Days Preschool.

According to her campaign website, she promises to “fight for parental rights and inclusion in the classroom,” and support technical and vocational programs, as well as the performing and visual arts.

“I will support policies that align with Florida Standard Educational practices and the laws that govern our state and district,” she wrote.

DeCorte’s campaign website reads, “With over 22 years in the classroom, over 15 years advocating for students, educators, and parents, and as a parent of two boys who graduated from Pinellas County Schools, Brad DeCorte knows the importance of school safety, academic success, equity in education, and community involvement on the impact to the success of all students.”

Among his core issues are healthy, safe and secure schools; focus on academic success; and equity and excellence of education.

On his campaign website, Oudshoff calls himself “an agent of change,” adding, “Standing up and creating change for students, parents, teachers, and taxpayers by returning the rights to parents and promoting parent choice, bringing transparency to Pinellas County Schools, and by reducing the burden in the classroom.”

He’s served as PTA president and captain of the All Pro Dad team at his children’s elementary school, and served as a member of the city of Largo’s Finance Advisory Board for seven years.

In District 3, Dr. Keesha Benson, Dawn Peters and Carl “Z” Zimmermann are all vying 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.

Zimmerman spent more than 30 years in Pinellas County classrooms teaching TV production, broadcast journalism and film. He also served in the Florida House of Representatives on the education committee, K-12 sub-committee, higher education and workforce sub-committee, and the Military and Veterans Affairs committee.

“These are trying times for public school and Pinellas is no exception,” according to a campaign flier he published on his website. “The pandemic has wreaked havoc on our staff and students. Not only have learning gains decreased, but it’s becoming more and more difficult to keep students interested, which leads to more discipline problems. Now is not the time to elect someone who has no background working with our school-age children, who doesn’t hold a degree in education or hasn’t lived through the drastic changes public education has gone through.”

Three candidates hope to be elected to represent District 6 — Brian M. Martin, Stephanie Meyer and Kimberly Works.

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.

Works is currently a grievance case manager for United Healthcare, though she previously was a cosmetology instructor. With two adult sons with autism, she served as a member of Pinellas County Schools’ Exceptional Students Education Committee and was involved in school PTAs in various roles.

“Maintain(ing) honesty, and integrity in every action I take as a Board member is non-negotiable. Participating in open dialog and respectful relationships with fellow Board members, school employees as well as parents and students,” she wrote on her campaign website. “As a former Pinellas County parent of three graduates, and now grandmother of (four) current Pinellas County students, I am invested in supporting our public school system. Having good connections with students, parents, staff and community partners is vital for student success.”

In District 7, Maria Di Fiore Solanki is challenging incumbent Caprice Edmond for her seat.

“I am running for school board because I am sick of all these tyrants and their nonsense. I have had enough of their indoctrination and lack of passion to help all communities,” Solanki wrote on her campaign website. “I am outraged that two of the current school board members have worked at two of the worst schools in the state of Florida and these schools continue to fail. Their laziness, lack of innovation, and incompetence are putting kids at risk. Education is how we fix all problems from poverty to crime and everything in between. While it may be comfortable to stay at home and complain, I am on this planet to serve the Lord, and this is why I am running for Pinellas County School Board District 7.”

She has spent two decades working with gifted children and special needs students.

Edmond wrote on her campaign website, “It has been my honor to serve and represent the people of Pinellas County on the School Board. I sincerely appreciate the support our campaign has received. As a school board, I have earned distinguished recognition as a Florida School Boards Association Certified Board Member, advocated for safety, academic success, fiscal responsibility and so much more.”

Prior to joining the school board in 2020, she was an advocate for foster care children in schools, in court and in their group homes. She also served as a teacher and science coach in Pinellas County Schools, mostly in Title I and Transformation Zone Schools.

Where and how to vote

In order to cast your ballot in the 2022 primary election, you’ll need to bring a valid and current photo and signature ID to your polling station. Without proper identification, you may still vote a provisional ballot, which will later be evaluated by a canvassing board for eligibility.

If you’re not sure where to vote, you can look up your polling station on the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections website. Sample ballots are also available at that link.

Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 23. If you are in line at 7 p.m., you will be allowed to vote, but if you arrive at the polling place after 7 p.m., you will not be allowed to vote.

Voters are welcome to bring a sample ballot to the polling place marked with their choices so there are no delays in voting.

When you arrive at the polls:

• Check in with your valid and current photo and signature ID.
• Receive your paper ballot and proceed to a privacy booth.
• Using the black pen provided, completely fill in the oval next to each of your selections.
• Review your ballot. If you wish to make changes, request another ballot.
• If you have any questions, ask a poll worker before you insert the ballot in the scanner. Once a ballot has been accepted, it cannot be retrieved.

If you are satisfied with your selections:

• Take your ballot to the optical scanner in the secrecy folder provided.
• Insert your ballot into the optical scan feeder.
• The scanner will record your votes and place your ballot into the locked ballot box.
• The scanner will alert you if your ballot appears blank or if it detects too many votes.
• You will have the option to either submit the ballot as is or make changes.
• You are not required to vote in every race or for every issue on the ballot, therefore, the scanner will not alert you of instances in which you did not vote.