Third candidate in District 7 race

Brent Fisher joins a fellow Republican and a Democrat in the County Commission race.

By EDIE GROSS

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 6, 2000

The field of candidates for the District 7 County Commission seat widened to three Monday with the addition of Pinellas Point resident Brent Fisher.

Fisher, an active member and past president of the Greater Pinellas Point Civic Association, is making his first bid for public office. A Republican, he joins Republican David Nadel of Gulfport and Democrat Kenneth Welch of St. Petersburg in the race for the single-member seat that covers Kenneth City, Gulfport, South Pasadena and the southern half of St. Petersburg.

Fisher, a St. Petersburg resident for 15 years, said the county needs to help train unemployed residents to enter the work force, find alternative water supplies, and improve transportation without building an expensive and potentially useless monorail.

The 48-year-old father of one said he had been thinking about a run for the County Commission for about six weeks before turning in his paperwork.

"I think we need stronger representation in South Pinellas," he said.

Fisher is a home mortgage lender with Regions Mortgage, and he serves as first vice president of the Council of Neighborhood Associations. He also has been a Cub Scout leader and Southside soccer coach.

He and his wife, Suzanne, have a son, Jason, 9.

The qualifying deadline for elections is noon July 21 for write-in candidates and those willing to pay a filing fee. Candidates who plan to qualify by petition have until noon June 26.

The primary is Sept. 5, and the general election is on Nov. 7.

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