After being elected chairman of Pinellas Democrats, failed St. Pete mayor candidate Ed Helm said he wanted to bring together a rapidly fracturing party. “If we are to be as strong as possible for the November elections, we must be united as one Democratic Party family in Pinellas County,” he wrote to his fellow party members. How did he achieve this unity? By not-so-secretly taking sides in primary races. His wife Adrien even created a PAC and spent money to support some of the so-called Helmite slate of Liz McCallum, Charlie Gerdes and Norm Roche. All three lost on Election Day. And the “Unity Campaign?” It’s on life support.
