“Architects like to think outside the box. I want to build a better Pinellas,” said David Glenn Jr. – an architect by trade – who is challenging Pinellas County Commissioner Kathleen Peters for the District 6 seat. Glenn has criticized Peters for opposing public transportation initiatives, being a career politician and maintaining what he describes as the status quo.
Glenn is entering a political landscape dominated by Republicans. The Pinellas County Commission currently sits under a GOP supermajority, with Rene Flowers serving as the sole Democrat, even as Republican voter registrations continue to climb statewide. Glenn said his goal is to “equalize the edge of Republican voters.”
“I think the blue wave is there to an extent where people are looking for a change,” Glenn said. “I think everyone was made a lot of promises that were made [by red] and nothing changed. Hopefully a lot of independents will see that and vote for the Democratic ticket instead of the Republicans.”
One of the clearest distinctions Glenn draws between himself and Peters is public transportation. Glenn served for about three years on a Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority advisory committee, and argues that transit plays a critical role in residents’ daily lives. “As far as I know PSTA supplies a high amount of service for the residents of the community,” he said. “They can do more amazing things for the county for more accessible routes and doing more for the people.”
Glenn has taken issue with Peters’ past comments on transit. “Kathleen Peters suggested getting rid of buses altogether,” he said. “And it’s absurd that someone who is part of public transportation would suggest getting rid of public transit.”
Asked what sets him apart from the incumbent more broadly, Glenn framed the race as experience versus perspective. “I’m not a career politician, and she is,” he said. “I didn’t know who Peters was before I started, and there hasn’t been one thing she did for me that I can remember … the first good thing that she’s done to help anybody.”
On beach policy, Glenn said he expects basic agreement but does not view it as a distinguishing issue. “Beach renourishment, I would hope she would support something like that,” he said. “This isn’t exactly a big change from the status quo, but the de facto responsibility of a leader in a beach community.”
Beach renourishment has been a central part of Peters’ record. She supported the county’s $125 million shoreline restoration plan following repeated hurricane damage and has lobbied both Republican and Democratic administrations for federal funding, including signing a 2019 letter to President Donald Trump alongside the full commission.
Peters is seeking a third term after running unopposed in 2022 and has raised nearly $64,000 for her reelection bid. Glenn filed recently and has not yet reported any campaign donations. The race marks Peters’ first contested election since 2018, when she won reelection by roughly 20 points.
The filing sets up a contest between an incumbent with a long record on countywide initiatives and a challenger arguing that the county needs a different approach on mobility, governance and representation.