Kathleen Peters, Pat Gerard maintain leads in Pinellas Commission races

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February campaign finance reports show Pat Gerard and state Rep. Kathleen Peters are firmly in the lead in the races for the District 2 and District 6 seats on the Pinellas County Commission.

Gerard, a Democrat and the incumbent District 2 commissioner, raised $4,650 last month, putting her campaign a couple hundred dollars shy of the $100,000 mark since she filed in June. Heading into March, she had nearly $80,000 in the bank.

Her opponent for the fall, Republican Doreen Caudell, raised an even $1,000 last month and spent triple that to finish February with just shy of $45,000 on hand.

Gerard took in 34 contributions in February, including a $500 check from Largo surgeon Stephen Weinstock. Another seven donors pitched in $250 each, while a dozen small-dollar donors gave contributions of less than $100.

Spending registered at $2,286 for the month, all of which went to Blue Ticket Consulting.

In the District 6 commission race, Peters posted $0 in contributions for the month due to her status as a lawmaker and spent $1,416.

The report left her with about $65,000 in the bank – more than her two opponents combined.

Peters faces fellow Republicans Barb Haselden and state Rep. Larry Ahern in the District 6 race.

Ahern also posted $0 raised last month and spent $1,145, leaving him with $28,196 in the bank. Haselden, who operates St. Pete-based Hometown Insurors, raised $392 and spent $1,927 in February to finish the month with $29,270 on hand.

Also up for election in 2018 is the District 4 commission seat currently held by Commissioner Dave Eggers, who is so far unopposed in his re-election bid.

He’s raised $6,878 for his campaign thus far, though he didn’t add any money in February. He finished the month with $6,315 on hand.

Drew Wilson

Drew Wilson is Vice President of Florida Politics, where he helps lead a talented team that produces must-read newsletters including Sunburn, Takeaways from Tallahassee, and Diagnosis. A University of Florida alumnus, he began his career at The Independent Florida Alligator — the nation’s largest student-run newspaper and a training ground for many of Florida’s top political reporters. He later served as a business correspondent for The Hollywood Reporter, then returned to Tallahassee to cover the state economy and Legislature for LobbyTools and The Florida Current, before segueing to Florida Politics, where he’s been for more than a decade. He spends too much time workshopping zingers for Capitol Directions — and not enough time outdoors.



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