Kelly Hayes
State Sen. Danny Burgess is backing Seth Weightman for the District 2 seat on the Pasco County Commission.
Burgess, who was first elected to the Florida Senate in 2020, has already risen as a prominent member of the state’s GOP leadership. Before serving in the state Senate, Burgess served as the executive director of the Florida Department of Veteran’s Affairs, and before that, represented Pasco County in the Florida House.
“Courtney and I are blessed to call Pasco County home. A place where community meets family, and you never meet a stranger. It’s a great place to work and raise a family, and I know Seth and Jessica share the same passion for Pasco as we do,” Burgess said in a statement. “I’m confident Seth will make the right decisions for Pasco County, and I hope you’ll join me in supporting him as the next Pasco County Commissioner.”
Weightman is running to succeed District 2 Commissioner Mike Moore, who announced his retirement in February. Moore has already endorsed Weightman as his successor. Weightman, who is running as a conservative, works as the municipal services manager for Republic Services Inc. in addition to running a family business with his wife.
He also serves on the Southwest Florida Water Management District Board after being appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in November 2019. He’s also a Pasco-Hernando State College Foundation Board Member, AdventHealth Foundation Board Member, Florida Chapter of the National Waste and Recycling Association Chairman and Hillsborough Community College Diesel Advisory Committee Member.
Weightman is one of three candidates racing for the District 2 seat, all Republicans. Also on the ballot is Troy Stevenson and Christie Zimmer.
The District 2 race will be an open election for the first time since 2014, when Moore was first elected to the seat. Moore said in a statement announcing his retirement that he will return to the private sector full time. The decision came after “much deliberation and discussions with family.”
