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On the campaign trail: For Hillsborough County School Board

 
Candidates for Hillsborough School Board at a Tiger Bay forum: Stacy Hahn, Sally Harris, Scott Hottenstein, Robert Pechacek,Bill Person, Mitchell Smithey, Kelso Tanner. [MARLENE SOKOL | Times]
Candidates for Hillsborough School Board at a Tiger Bay forum: Stacy Hahn, Sally Harris, Scott Hottenstein, Robert Pechacek,Bill Person, Mitchell Smithey, Kelso Tanner. [MARLENE SOKOL | Times]
Published June 22, 2018|Updated June 23, 2018

These are the candidates who qualified Friday for the Hillsborough County School Board elections in August and November 2018.

District 1, northwest Hillsborough and Town 'N Country:

This is a special election to replace Susan Valdes, who resigned, effective Nov. 6, to run for the state House of Representatives. The winner will serve until the end of Valdes's term in 2020.

Steve Cona, 43, is chief executive officer of the Associated Builders and Contractors Florida Gulf Coast Chapter.

Gilbert "Gil" Machin is 68 and is retired from a career  with the Hillsborough County government, having held senior administrative positions in the social services.

William "Bill" Person, 67. This is Person's second run for School Board. He is retired from a long career with the school district, where at one point he was a district-level administrator who designed school boundary systems to replace busing for integration.

District 2, South Tampa and Southshore

Stacy Hahn, 51: This is Hahn's second run for School Board. She is director of professional development and partnerships for the University of South Florida's College of Education.

Sally Harris, the incumbent and current School Board chairwoman, is 68 and joined the board in 2016. She is also owner and operator of the Circle C early childhood center in South Tampa.

Rod Mayhew, 64, is a first-time candidate. He comes from a career in mortgage banking and marketing.

District 4; Valrico, Lithia, Plant City

LaShonda Davison, 40, is an event planner. This is her first run for school board.

Melissa Snively, 47 and Republican, is the incumbent.  She operates a State Farm insurance agency.

NOTE: As there are only two candidates, this race will be decided on Aug. 28.

District 6, Countywide

Scott Hottenstein, 47, teaches social studies at Barrington Middle School in Lithia.

Robert Pechacek, 36, is a social studies teacher at Coleman Middle School in South Tampa.

Karen Perez filed her papers at 11:53 a.m., seven minutes before Friday's noon deadline. Gradebook knows nothing more about her at this time.

Mitchell Smithey, 45, is student nutrition manager at Steinbrenner High School in Lutz.

Kelso Tanner, 43, has a political consulting firm.

Henry "Shake" Washington, 69, is a Democrat. He is retired after working for the school district for close to 40 years, most recently as an area superintendent.

Steve Cona
Steve Cona
Gilbert “Gil” Machin
Gilbert “Gil” Machin
Bill Person
Bill Person
LaShonda Davison
LaShonda Davison
Melissa Snively
Melissa Snively
Scott Hottenstein
Scott Hottenstein
Robert Pechacek
Robert Pechacek
Mitchell Smithey
Mitchell Smithey
Kelso Tanner
Kelso Tanner
Henry “Shake” Washington
Henry “Shake” Washington