Janelle Irwin Taylor
Two local firefighter unions are endorsing Charlie Justice for re-election to the Pinellas County Commission in District 3.
The longtime incumbent secured support from the St. Petersburg Association of Firefighters Local 747 and the Palm Harbor/Oldsmar Professional Fire Fighters Local 2980.
St. Petersburg IAFF President Richard Pauley praised Justice for “honorably serving the citizens of Pinellas County” and the “interests of the men and women in the Fire and Emergency Medical Services.”
Justice said he was honored to have earned the groups’ support.
“I know how dedicated they are to protecting our families here in Pinellas. It is my privilege to represent them on the Commission. I have been proud to work to fund employee raises, equipment replacements and for the construction of new stations,” he said in a prepared statement.
In an announcement touting the new support, Justice pointed to his work on the Commission allocating resources to public safety, including law enforcement, emergency medical services and emergency operations. He also touted a drop in crime, including a 63% reduction in serious crime over the past 10 years, and increased safety during medical emergencies, storms and other natural disasters.
The Commission, just this month, voted to spend $7.4 million on a new emergency services building in North Redington Beach in order to cut response time down by half in that area.
Justice, first elected to the Commission in 2012, faces Republican challenger Vince Nowicki in the Nov. 5 General Election.
The latest endorsements follow several others for the incumbent Democrat, including from South Pasadena Mayor Arthur Penny, Gulfport Mayor Sam Henderson and Gulfport City Council members Paul Ray and April Thanos in June.
He also earned support from Sen. Darryl Rouson. Endorsements have also rolled in from leaders in Pinellas Park and Lealman, including from Pinellas Park Mayor Sandra Bradbury, City Council members Ricky Butler, Tim Caddell and Patti Gail Reed, retired Police Chief Michael Haworth, and Lealman Fire District Commissioners Kathleen Quinn Litton and Jorge Mercado.
Other backers include five members of St. Petersburg City Council and a bipartisan cohort that included former colleagues on the County Commission, Susan Latvala and Karen Seel, both Republicans.
Justice also secured an endorsement earlier this Summer from U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor. He also has support from St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch, a former colleague on the Commission and a close friend, and former St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman.
Justice will now have to overcome a voter registration disadvantage, with about 30,000 more Republican voters in the county than Democrats. While Justice’s seat includes parts of west St. Pete and Lealman, it is elected countywide.
The GOP is eyeing Justice’s seat to grow its majority on the dais, as well as the open race for District 1, which Democrat Janet Long is vacating after a long tenure.
It’s widely believed that if the GOP picks up either seat, it will be next to impossible for Democrats to win back their advantage in less than 10 years. If they manage to keep both seats blue, party operatives are hopeful the pendulum will swing back in Democrats’ favor within the next two or three election cycles.
Justice narrowly held onto his seat the last time he was up for re-election, with barely more than 50% of the vote against GOP challenger Tammy Sue Vasquez.
Justice’s campaign touts his work protecting beaches and local estuaries, as well as preserving green space, investing in infrastructure and making public safety a priority.
