Ken Welch endorses Jeff Larsen for Pinellas School Board
The endorsements are lining up behind Ken Welch.

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Pinellas County Commission Chair Ken Welch is endorsing Jeff Larsen for Pinellas County School Board in a new ad released Wednesday.

Larsen ran against incumbent Terry Krassner for the countywide seat and Lisa Cane, a mother of four in the August Primary. Krassner lost, leaving Larsen to run against Cane in the General election.

“Jeff Larsen will stand up for our values and make sure that every child gets a great education in Pinellas,” Welch said in the ad. “His career as a public school teacher, his service as Vice Mayor of Tarpon Springs, and his vision for our children’s future make him the clear choice for School Board.”

Krassner has served two terms on the school board and is seeking a third. She’s a former teacher, vice principal and principal of 35 years. Larsen is also a public school teacher. The two differ on several policy priorities, but one stand out is over-testing. While Krassner has acknowledged it’s a problem, she has not offered many solutions.

In the ad, Larsen and Welch discuss the numerous endorsements Larsen has received, the ways they’ll work to improve schools in every neighborhood, and the values they share.

“Chairman Welch knows that when we work to give each child, each family, and each neighborhood the resources to succeed, we all benefit,” Larsen said.

Larsen has collected a host of endorsements from several groups and community leaders. Here’s that list so far:

Tampa Bay Times

Pinellas Realtors Organization

Clearwater Regional Chamber PAC

Florida AFL-CIO

Pinellas County Teachers Association

West Central Florida Federation of Labor

Florida NOW

Pinellas Stonewall Democrats

Pinellas Educational Support Professionals Association

Pinellas County Commissioner Pat Gerard

Pinellas County Commissioner Charlie Justice

St. Petersburg City Council member Lisa Wheeler-Bowman

St. Petersburg City Councilmember Gina Driscoll

Largo Vice Mayor Michael Smith

Belleair Bluffs Commissioner Joe Barkley

Tarpon Springs Vice Mayor David Banther

Tarpon Springs City Commissioner Jacob Karr

Tarpon Springs City Commissioner Rea Seiber

Tarpon Springs City Commissioner Susan Miccio Kikta

Former Tarpon Springs Mayor David Archie

Former Tarpon Springs Vice Mayor Robin Saenger

Former Tarpon Springs Vice Mayor Townsend Tarapani

Former Tarpon Springs City Commissioner Peter Delacos

Former Tarpon Springs City Commissioner Jim Archer

Former Oldsmar Vice Mayor Linda Norris

Former Safety Harbor City Commissioner Scott Long

Janelle Irwin Taylor

Janelle Irwin Taylor has been a professional journalist covering local news and politics in Tampa Bay since 2003. Most recently, Janelle reported for the Tampa Bay Business Journal. She formerly served as senior reporter for WMNF News. Janelle has a lust for politics and policy. When she’s not bringing you the day’s news, you might find Janelle enjoying nature with her husband, children and two dogs. You can reach Janelle at [email protected].



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