Pinellas County residents voted for commissioners in Districts 2, 4 and 6 on Tuesday during the primary election.

In District 2, challenger Ed Hooper defeated incumbent Norm Roche and will now face Largo Mayor Pat Gerard, a Democrat, in the November general election.

Hooper recieved 64 percent of the vote, while Roche got 36 percent of the vote.

"Clearly the voters are ready for a change," said Hooper after his win. "I can't imagine going through this for that length of time and not prevailing. But we'll be ready on November 4th to take on our challenger. We're going to keep this seat and do everything that's necessary to win in November."

Hooper, 66, who has reached his term limits in the state House, wants to focus on jobs, strengthening Pinellas small business owners and improve beach renourishment.

"(In) this county, we have so many employers that are defense-contract related and now that we don't have Congressman (C.W. Bill) Young to make sure our employers get the contracts that they need," Hooper said. "There's a great danger that we're going to lose a lot of really high-tech manufacturing jobs and employers to other parts of the country."

In District 4, former Dunedin city commissioner and current mayor Dave Eggers defeated Peter Nehr, Johnny Johnson, Jim Ronecker, Wanda Kimsey, Macho Liberti, and Tim Keffalas.

Eggers recieved 30 percent of the vote.

Eggers will face a Democrat and two no-party candidates in the general election in November to replace longtime commissioner Susan Latvala, who is retiring after 14 years on the commission.

"I believe my business experience, my business degree and leadership in the Chamber of Commerce put me directly in touch with small business community, an approach needed on the County Commission," said Eggers, 57. “Jobs, economic development and redevelopment will continue to be an area of focus as well a consistent focus and priority on public safety, infrastructure, homelessness and veteran affairs."

In District 6, three-term incumbent John Morroni defeated newcomer Tom Rask, which has granted him the seat.

Morroni recieved 66 percent of the vote, while Rask got 34 percent of the vote.

"I think one of the reasons we had such a big win tonight was because we were able to appeal to all parties," said Morroni. "It's an awesome night, it's great."

Morroni, a 59-year-old Treasure Island resident, is a backer of Greenlight Pinellas and has served on the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority. He also has backed new homeless facilities and affordable housing.  

"We're the only area in the state of Florida that doesn't have an integrated transit system," Morroni said. "And there's people who can ride the bus at six o' clock but when they get off work, there's no buses."

Candidates chosen for Pinellas County School Board

In District 2, former teacher, principal and current school board member Terry Krassner defeated Chris Tauchnitz, a 46-year-old engineer and parent of public school children.

Krassner recieved 71 percent of the vote, while Tauchnitz got 29 percent of the vote.

Krassner, who was instrumental in the transition from former superintendent Julie Janssen to Mike Grego, said her experience is key.

"As a former teacher, I support stronger professional development offerings for all educators," said Krassner, 62. "As a former principal, I support more school-based decision  making based on individual school needs. (I also will) build on our track record of results."

In District 3, incumbent Peggy O'Shea defeated USF St. Petersburg professor Kent Curtis.

O'Shea recieved 65 percent of the vote while Curtis got 35 percent of the vote.

O'Shea, 64, describes herself as an advocate for parents and a board member who has pushed for career academies and magnet schools to help struggling students. This will be her third term. 

In District 4, Ken Peluso and Beverly Billiris will head to a runoff in the Nov. 4 general election. The winner will replace Robin Wikle.

The district covers most of northern Pinellas County.

In District 6, longtime board member Linda Lerner defeated former journalist Maureen Ahern. Lerner will continue on for a seventh term.

Lerner recieved 55 percent of the vote while Ahern got 45 percent of the vote.

Lerner, 71, said that as a school board member, she believes that a strong public education system is the greatest protector of our democracy.

"I will continue to take a leadership role in advocating for valid accountability, adequate funding and a district that continues to be more accessible and accountable to all our stakeholders," said Lerner, first voted to the board in 1990, making her the longest serving school board member in Pinellas schools history. "It has been a privilege to serve on the Board for many years. I remain committed and motivated to be part of the Board and Superintendent leadership team which recognizes our successes while focusing on improvement."

Referendum question

Residents in Pinellas County voted to give property tax exemptions to new businesses and expansions of businesses to create full-time jobs.

The idea is to offer those breaks to bring more businesses and job to the county. Under state law, the exemption could be up to 100 percent of the value of the business and last for 10 years.

Locally, Hillsborough and Sarasota are among the 38 Florida counties have a similar tax exemption program. Cities offering tax exempt programs include Tampa, St. Petersburg and Largo.