Pinellas Park leaders back ‘right Representative’ Lindsay Cross for re-election to HD 60

A host of current and former Pinellas Park elected officials and local community leaders are backing Rep. Lindsay Cross for re-election to House District 60.

The incumbent Democrat is facing a credible challenge from Republican Ed Montanari, a current St. Petersburg City Council member who has significant name recognition from his nearly nine years on the dais.

The group of endorsers are sticking with Cross, though, saying she has a track record of delivering results for their town.

“Pinellas Park needs Representative Lindsay Cross back in the State House. From bringing back money for Pinellas Park water and infrastructure projects to supporting our thriving industry,” City Council member Tim Caddell said. “Lindsay understands what our city needs.”

Other supporters include Pinellas Park Vice Mayor Keith Sabiel, City Council member Patti Reed, former City Council member Rick Butler, former Police Chief Michael Haworth and local business owner Housh Ghovaee.

“Representative Cross understands what we need to build strong and stable families and support our veterans. I’m proud to stand with her for her reelection to the State House.” Sabiel said.

Added Reed: “Representative Cross does so much important work for our community, from supporting urban agriculture to expanding transportation options. I’m proud to endorse her for reelection.”

Butler, meanwhile, said Cross was the city’s best choice to keep it moving forward.

“I know that Lindsay Cross is the right Representative to lead the city into the future, as we rely on new technology to meet our infrastructure needs,” he said.

And while law enforcement nods are often delivered to Republican candidates, Haworth praised Cross for her dedication to supporting law enforcement and “hard work to keep our communities safe.” 

Ghovaee added Cross “is helping our businesses thrive.” 

The support is important for Cross, who is running in a district with a quickly evaporating Democratic advantage.

A look at historic voter registration data for the district available on the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections website shows that in 2020, the last Presidential Election year, Democrats outnumbered Republicans by 7 percentage points. As of May 1, that advantage has shrunk to just under 3 percentage points.

Still, Democrats do maintain an advantage in the district, even if it’s shrinking, and Cross is taking her race seriously.

She has a six-figure cash advantage over Montanari, as of the most recently available finance reports. The Democrat has raised more than $295,000 to defend her seat, and has more than $268,000 on hand between her campaign and political committee, Moving Pinellas Forward.

Montanari, himself a strong fundraiser, outraised Cross in April in May, but hasn’t caught up to her cash advantage. He has a little more than $123,000 on hand.