According to a new poll published Thursday by StPetePolls.org, two of the three races for Pinellas County Commissioner are in a statistical tie, 33 days before the election.
Republicans Neil Brickfield and Nancy Bostock are both running for re-election this fall. They are two of the four members of the board who voted last year to stop adding fluoride to the drinking water in the county, a controversial move that has galvanized dentists and others in the medical community to support their two Democratic party challengers.
In District 1, Brickfield is being challenged by former state legislator Janet Long. The poll from St.Pete polls shows Brickfield with 44.9 percent of the vote, Long with 43.9 percent.
In District 3 Nancy Bostock is being challenged by another former state legislator, Democrat Charlie Justice. The new survey has Justice up 46.3 percent to Bostock's 43.6 percent.
In District 7, the lone Democrat on the board, Ken Welch, is easily defeating Republican Buck Walz, at 51.2 percent to 32. 9 percent.
In the other major race on the Pinellas ballot, incumbent Republican sheriff Bob Gualtieri is up over Democrat Scott Swope, 54.2 percent to 36.2 percent.
StPetePolls says their survey was taken of 836 likely voters on Wednesday, October 3. It has a margin of error of 4.9 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.
