Janelle Irwin Taylor
Pinellas County Commissioner Dave Eggers has weighed in on who he wants to succeed his colleague, Janet Long, on the dais in District 1.
The Republican, who occasionally sides with Democrats on the dais, is backing Republican Chris Scherer over the Democrat in the race, Cookie Kennedy.
Eggers, who is known for his moderate approach to governance, cited a common GOP mantra in his endorsement, noting Scherer’s willingness to limit government.
“As a business owner, Scherer understands that in order to make Pinellas County affordable again, we need less government, not more,” Eggers said. “Conservative fiscal policies, enacting term limits, eliminating red tape, and preserving opportunities for our local businesses are the keys to economic prosperity for Pinellas County.”
Eggers said he looks forward to serving with Scherer, “to cut spending, roll back our taxes, and make Pinellas County affordable.”
Scherer also recently earned an endorsement from Brian Scott, the incumbent County Commissioner who flipped control to the GOP by defeating former Commissioner Pat Gerard. Prior to Scott’s victory, Democrats had a narrow majority.
The GOP has been eyeing Long’s seat for years, coming within striking distance four years ago, but narrowly missing the chance to flip her seat. Long defeated Republican former Rep. Larry Ahern in that race by just 1 percentage point.
Scherer tacitly acknowledged Eggers’ record on the Commission as a consensus builder.
“Commissioner Eggers has always been a voice of reason and a strong advocate for local businesses,” Scherer said. “I’m honored to have his endorsement, and I look forward to working with him and the other Commissioners to bring a can-do attitude to housing affordability, public safety, and protecting our water on the County Commission.”
Scherer graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor’s degree in finance before relocating to Pinellas County and obtaining his Class-A Contractors and Real Estate Brokerage licenses. He founded Scherer Development in 1994, a company that provides clients with development services ranging from site selection and design to construction, leasing and property management.
Scherer said he’s running “to protect and improve what makes Pinellas special,” which includes a platform of preserving the environment; lowering taxes; enacting term limits; supporting law enforcement; and securing elections.
Scherer’s father was a U.S. Naval Captain who served in Vietnam. Scherer said he is an avid volunteer, including at St. Vincent DePaul. He also served from 2010 to 2016 on the St. Pete Development Review Commission.
Scherer most recently received support from Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard, who in the recently concluded Clearwater municipal races, proved to be a powerful ally, helping all of the winning candidates in what turned out to be a sweep for Republicans.
Scherer has also earned support from the Suncoast Police Benevolent Association; former Pinellas County Sheriff Jim Coats; Sen. Nick DiCeglie; former Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran; Rep. Bernie Jacques; Clearwater interim Mayor Brian Aungst Sr.; Belleair Bluffs Mayor Chris Arbutine Sr.; former Sen. Jeff Brandes; former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker; former St. Petersburg City Council member Robert Blackmon; and Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.
Scherer has raised more than $200,000 for his race, through his official campaign and an affiliated political committee. That’s more than double what Kennedy has raised, at $95,208.
