SEMINOLE – Former State Rep. Janet Long filed with the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections April 2 to seek election to the District 1 seat on the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners.
Long, a Democrat, will face Republican incumbent Commissioner Neil Brickfield in the general election on Nov. 6.
The announcement ends speculation about Long’s candidacy. She will fulfill a contractual commitment with St. Petersburg College, where she served until March 30, as a project manager for the Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions.
“Though I thoroughly enjoyed my work at the college,” said Long, “I chose not to allow my contract to be renewed so that I could campaign for public office.”
Elected in 2006, Long served in the Florida House of Representatives for two terms.
A Pinellas resident since 1972, one of her first jobs here was as Seminole’s city administrator. She later served on the Seminole City Council from 2002 to 2004. She is also a former legislative aide and deputy insurance commissioner.
Long was twice appointed to gubernatorial committees, including the State Tax Reform Task Force.
“Until recently,” said Long, “our County Commission enjoyed a long and rich history of putting aside partisan differences in order to make Pinellas County a better place to live, work and raise a family.
“That changed four years ago,” said Long. “Leadership and experience in governing was replaced by self-serving individuals with no strength to lead in the best interest of all our citizens.
“This will be a spirited campaign,” she said, “but Pinellas County voters now have a clear choice between an opportunistic ideologue and a tested public servant who is unafraid to lead and promises to restore common sense to our county government.”
A formal campaign kick-off and the launch of the campaign’s website will be announced in the near future.
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