Kelly Hayes
Republican Debbie Buschman has filed to run for the District 2 seat on the Pinellas County Commission — a seat currently held by incumbent Democrat Pat Gerard.
Buschman is the first to file for the 2022 race, although it is likely she will face Gerard, who has held the seat since 2014. In 2018, Gerard took the seat without opposition.
Buschman works with Pinellas County Public Schools as the Lunch Pal coordinator, a role where she recruits and advises businesses, organizations and individuals on how to partner with the school system to provide students with positive mentors.
She also serves on the Palm Harbor Special Fire Control and Rescue District Commission, a position she was first elected to in 2012.
“My experience working for the State of Florida and the Pinellas County school system has (given) me a first-hand perspective and helped prepare me for the role that I seek to serve in as Pinellas County Commissioner,” she said in a statement. “I have also had the privilege to work with elected local, state, and national officials throughout Pinellas County on issues such as mental health, substance use disorders, mentoring and public safety.”
Before working with Pinellas County Schools, she worked with the county’s Public Defender’s Office. Buschman also has served on the Board of Directors for Pace Center for Girls Pinellas since 2018.
The District 2 seat Buschman seeks is at-large, allowing for a countywide vote in the General Election. Buschman officially filed for the race on July 1, according to documents with the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections office.
As of Thursday, Pinellas County has 250,067 registered Democrats, 246,556 registered Republicans and 207,504 third-party or non-partisan voters.
Buschman will likely face an uphill battle against incumbent Gerard, who chaired the Commission last year, leading the county’s response to COVID-19. Gerard also has a history in local politics, serving as the Largo Mayor for seven years before running for her current seat.
Aside from politics, Gerard worked as the chief operating officer for Family Resources Inc., a nonprofit agency that assists troubled teens.
