Pinellas County Commission District 3 | Democratic primary

Winner: Rene Flowers

This race pits former St. Petersburg City Council member Rene Flowers against activist Darden Rice, niece of former Sheriff Everett Rice. The winner faces former school board member Nancy Bostock, a Republican in November.

	Rene Flowers, 43	Darden Rice, 38
Experience	Flowers served on the St. Petersburg City Council from 1999 until early 2008. She’s a former president of the Florida League of Cities. She’s now a program manager at Neighborly Care Network, a nonprofit that works with seniors.	Rice was a regional representative for the Sierra Club from 2001 until 2007. She’s a former vice president of the St. Petersburg Area League of Women Voters and former vice president of the Council of Neighborhood Associations. She’s now Southeast project director for Oceana, an international ocean protection group.
Education	Graduate of Eckerd College and Tallahassee Community College. She attended, but did not graduate from, Howard University and University of South Florida.	Graduate of Eckerd College. She attended but did not graduate from the University of South Florida.
Short-term goals if elected	Flowers said job one is to immerse herself in the county budget, both as a way to learn the landscape and players, but also to familiarize herself with how money is being spent during a time of revenue constraints.	Rice thinks county government can do more to reduce spending and be efficient. To send a signal, she plans to reduce her salary by 10 percent. She also wants to create an open government Web site to foster greater transparency.
Long-term goals if elected	A priority for Flowers is affordable housing. She would like to see funding for housing programs enhanced. Flowers also thinks it’s critical for the county and cities in Pinellas to explore ways to consolidate and merge government functions.	Rice wants to establish permanent protections for Brooker Creek Preserve. She also plans to lobby for a voter referendum to support mass transit in Tampa Bay. Rice also wants to pursue economic development in Pinellas, with a focus on marine sciences and green energy.
Assets	Home, vehicle	Home, farm, mutual fund, IRA
Liabilities	Mortgage, student loan, credit card	Mortgage, student loan, car loan
Net worth	$123,500	$146,000
Source of income	Salary	Salary, consulting
Personal	Divorced with two adult children and one minor child.	In a committed relationship
Web site	Yes	Yes
E-mail	Yes	Yes

About the job: The District 3 seat is elected by voters countywide, although candidates must live in the at-large South Pinellas district. Commissioners are elected to four-year terms. They oversee an annual budget of roughly $2-billion. They’re paid $90,934 a year.