Voters Seek Change In Pinellas County Primary Election

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — Voters were asked to make decisions in two Pinellas County Commission races, while four Pinellas County School Board seats were also on the line in Tuesday’s primary election.

Several Pinellas County residents spoke with Patch about what drew them to the polls and what results they’re hoping for.

Linsey Grove of St. Petersburg said voting has always been a part of her life, but this year it’s extra important to cast a ballot.

“Voting has always been very important to me and has been a tradition in my family. I am worried about the future of our country and feel that one of the most powerful ways to make my voice heard is by voting in every election,” she told Patch.

Grove, the campaign manager for school board candidate Dr. Keesha Benson, said they spent the morning “going precinct to precinct” putting up campaign signs and she was surprised by what she saw.

“Honestly, it’s been really slow,” she said. “Riding around, we were all like, ‘This is kind of crazy.’ It was just so slow.”

Though she knows many people voted by mail, she found the low in-person turnout “slightly disheartening,” she added. “Regardless of what they’re showing up for, I would like to see more folks show up.”

Mary Ellen DiPietra of Tarpon Springs said she dropped off her and her husband’s ballots at their local library last week.

“(We’re) voting to replace our current governor, ‘DeSatan,' (and) voting for women and whatever men are supporting basic human freedoms; so, Democrats,” she told Patch. “(We’re) excited to see more and more women in office every single vote!”

Some Democratic voters have expressed their dissatisfaction with the party’s candidates.

Amelia Langston of St. Petersburg said she is “feeling pretty apathetic” about them — and this election.

“The Dems are really disappointing me. They dangle hope in front of us in the form of people like (gubernatorial candidate) Nikki (Fried,) but the establishment will win,” she told Patch. “So, we'll end up putting up ... (Charlie) Crist for the general (election). The worst part is to be a good Dem, you gotta get fired up; they really expect you to rally. And then, because we are good Dems, we do rally. But then we lose the general because the person we put up (is) an establishment lapdog against some wild and crazy, ‘out-of-the-box’ Repub.”

Brandy Stark of St. Petersburg also said that she’s “kind of concerned for the Democratic party because I actually did not recognize many of the names and had to look up some of their track history.”

She added, “That was alarming to me. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that Florida is too misogynistic to accept a female governor so ended up with Charlie Crist. But will probably end up voting straight blue for whoever does make it after this. I'm quite concerned that nothing is going to change in this state, even though we've gone upside down in many ways.”