Months before election, Largo commission candidate has raised $50,000

As election season nears, some Largo residents may still be thinking of the 2018 city election — or the lack thereof. When no one stepped up to run against any of the four incumbents in the race, the election was cancelled altogether.

The 2020 Largo election won’t suffer the same fate. Three spots on the commission are open, and four candidates have announced their campaigns.

The race for mayor remains uncontested, with Mayor Woody Brown running for re-election. The same is true for Seat 4′s incumbent commissioner Jamie Robinson.

But in Seat 3, incumbent Curtis Holmes will face Largo resident Eric Gerard in November.

As of June 30, Gerard had raised $50,000. Holmes had raised $20,935.

“I’m grateful for the contributions, especially during these difficult times,” said Gerard. “They’re coming in from all over.”

Both Gerard and Holmes have raised far more money than their uncontested peers. Brown has raised $2,557 for his mayoral campaign. Robinson has raised $254.

Gerard says remote campaigning is more expensive than campaigning in person.

“We can’t campaign as I traditionally would want to, by getting out to meetings and canvassing neighborhoods,” said Gerard. “I have to rely on reaching people by other means, which just takes more money.”

Gerard’s campaign team is considering advertising on Facebook and other social media platforms, as well as mailing voters directly. Gerard also said he’s spending “many hours” on the phone.

Gerard is aided in his campaign by his wife, Pat, a Pinellas County Commissioner who was Largo mayor from 2006-2014.

“I know a lot of folks in the area, through my experience as a community leader and also through Pat’s, but I don’t know if that gives me any particular advantage,” he said.

Gerard is Vice Chair of the Largo Planning Board and has served for nearly a decade on the Greater Largo Library Board. He is also a former journalist and small business owner.

Holmes, owner of First Southeast Insurance Services, Inc., has served on the Largo city commission since 2009. He did not respond to three phone calls and an email requesting comment.

Holmes has received endorsements from the Pinellas County Professional Firefighters and the Sun Coast Police Benevolent Association.

Holmes was also the only incumbent to face opposition in the 2016 city election, where he secured a victory by 213 votes.

With a platform of affordable housing, sustainability, and extending Largo’s leadership throughout the region, Gerard said he and Holmes have “wildly divergent approaches” to city policy.

“I see myself as a consensus builder, not an outlier,” said Gerard. “Between myself and my opponent, I think people will see that I’m more of the person to bring people together than to stress the divisions between us.”