Mitch Perry
Kathleen Peters is leading the pack in fundraising among three Republicans running for District 6 of the Pinellas County Commission.
In January, the Republican lawmaker from South Pasadena raised $9,505, taking in $85,519 overall since announcing she would be stepping down from her House District 69 seat to run for the county board.
More than $55,000 of those funds came in June via transferring her House account to the local race.
Conservative activist Barb Haselden raised $1,655 in January and has now raised $39,675.
Larry Ahern, Peters’ colleague in the House who is term-limited this year from HD 66, had his strongest month of fundraising to date for the county race, raising a total $11,000 in January. However, that still ranks him third overall with a total of $29,390 to date.
The District 6 seat is open, as longtime GOP Commissioner John Morroni announced he won’t run for re-election in 2018. No Democrat has filed for the race.
Peters flirted with the notion of jettisoning a bid for local office and filed to apply for an opening on the Public Service Commission. Though she was selected for an interview, she dropped out of consideration last month.
District 6 is a single-member district that includes northeast St. Petersburg, Pinellas Park, Seminole, a portion of the unincorporated Lealman area and the south beaches including Redington Shores, Redington Beach, North Redington Beach, Madeira Beach, Treasure Island, St. Pete Beach and Tierra Verde.
