Drew Wilson
St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman on Tuesday endorsed Pinellas County School Board Chair René Flowers for re-election.
“I have been honored to call René Flowers a friend for many years and I enthusiastically support her re-election to the Pinellas County School Board,” Kriseman said in a press release. “Nobody will fight harder for St. Petersburg and our kids than René.”
Kriseman’s endorsement follows Flowers’ Monday announcement that Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch, St. Petersburg City Council Chair Lisa Wheeler-Bowman and Mt. Zion Primitive Baptist Church Pastor Dr. G. Gregg Murray had endorsed her for a second full term.
“I am extremely grateful to have the endorsement of Mayor Rick Kriseman. The future is bright for public schools and I look forward to continuing the partnership with the City of St. Petersburg under Mayor Kriseman’s leadership,” Flowers said.
Flowers also announced an upcoming campaign fundraiser in the press release, set for 6 p.m. on March 9 at the Iberian Rooster, 475 Central Avenue.
Flowers was first elected to the District 7 board seat in 2012 to serve out the remainder of deceased School Board Member Lew Williams’ term.
She won that election with 77 percent of the vote over Glenton Gilzean, and in 2014 she took 96 percent of the vote against a write-in opponent.
Flowers is currently running against Bilan Joseph and Nicholas Wright in the 2018 contest. A third challenger, Shyla Sams, filed to run for the seat last summer but has since withdrawn.
School board elections are nonpartisan and will be on the Aug. 28 primary election ballot.
