Danny McAuliffe
Jay Beyrouti will fill the vacant Pinellas County Commission District 6 post effective Friday, according to Gov. Rick Scott‘s office.
Scott appointed Beyrouti to the commission to fill the empty seat created by Commissioner John Morroni‘s passing on May 20.
A Reddington Shores resident, Beyrouti, 66, is a small business owner. He received his bachelor’s degree in accounting and international business from Sacred Heart Business School.
Beyrouti sits on the boards of both Space Florida and Enterprise Florida, the state’s public-private job creation agency.
A former Pinellas GOP chair, Beyrouti is active in Tampa Bay politics and has appeared at area fundraisers for recent elections.
“It’s such a great honor to be chosen by Gov. Scott to serve for the remainder of the term for my friend, Commissioner John Morroni,” Beyrouti said in a statement. “I am looking forward to joining the county commission and working alongside such a strong group of leaders.”
The District 6 seat encompasses Pinellas Park, Seminole and the bulk of the county’s southwestern shoreline, including Madeira Beach, Treasure Island and St. Pete Beach.
Four candidates qualified to run for the District 6 seat in the upcoming Nov. 6 election. Registered Republicans will pick the candidate of their choice during the Aug. 28 primary. The winner will compete for the seat in the Nov. 6 general election.
The Republican candidates are Larry Ahern and Kathleen Peters, who both have served in the Legislature, and political newcomer Barb Haselden. The only Democrat who qualified is Amy Kedron, another newcomer to the political arena.
Material from Tampa Bay Newspapers was used in this report.
