Janelle Irwin Taylor
Former Rep. Larry Ahern filed to run against Pinellas County Commissioner Janet Long Wednesday.
Ahern has until Friday at noon to qualify for the race.
If he qualifies, he’ll run for the at-large District 1 seat representing northeast and mid-Pinellas.
Ahern’s entrance would set up a competitive battle between an incumbent Democrat and a former Republican state Representative with high name recognition.
Ahern previously served Florida’s 66th District in northwestern Pinellas County from 2012 to 2018. He served in Florida’s 51st district from 2010 to 2012.
In the Legislature, Ahern supported policies to lower taxes, cut red tape, increase school choice. He also supported anti-abortion legislation.
During his tenure in the House, Ahern was arguably the most conservative lawmaker in the Pinellas Legislative Delegation. He was an early supporter of then-candidate Donald Trump and generally sided with ultraconservative House leadership.
His wife, Maureen Ahern, previously ran unsuccessfully for Pinellas County School Board and supported recruiting religious leaders to speak in schools.
Long also served in the Florida Legislature. She proceeded Ahern in District 51, serving from 2006 until 2010.
Coincidentally, it was Ahern who ended Long’s legislative career.
In the 2010 election, he defeated her 50-44 with Tea Party candidate Victoria Torres snagging about 6% of the vote in a three-way race.
If he qualifies, Ahern will have a fundraising deficit to bridge. Long has already raised more than $71,000 for her reelection bid. Up until Wednesday, she was unopposed.
In his House races, Ahern proved to be a formidable fundraiser. In 2016, his final legislative campaign, he managed to raise nearly $140,000 for what ended up being an uncompetitive race — he trounced Democratic nominee Lorena Grizzle 58-42 on Election Day.
In the 2010 election against Long, Ahern won despite a 3-1 fundraising deficit.
Ahern has attempted to get on the Pinellas County Commission before. In 2018 he ran for the open District 6 seat, losing to now-Commissioner Kathleen Peters in the Republican primary 48-36 with Barbara Haselden receiving 16% of the vote in a three-person race.
2 comments
Jim Donelon
June 11, 2020 at 6:46 pm
Larry was a lousy state rep. and would be an equally lousy County Commissioner. He’s a right wing nut but will make a great team with the IDIOT in the White House.
Barbara Haselden
June 12, 2020 at 9:21 am
Good Luck Larry!
Time to get her out of office one more time! As Chairman of PSTA for last couple years, She was the main driving force behind the coming Central Avenue Bus Rapid Transit so opposed by residents along the route of 1st Avenues North and South and the cities of S Pasadena and St Pete Beach.
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