7 candidates qualify in races that could flip Pinellas school board

Three seats on the Pinellas County School Board are up for grabs in August, and there’s a slate of challengers who have aligned themselves in a bid to “flip” the board to a conservative majority.

In District 1, an at-large seat chosen by all county voters, incumbent Laura Hine will face Danielle Marolf, the owner of private Christian school Wellmont Academy.

Hine, seeking a second term, starts her campaign with more than $100,000 in her account and the backing of leaders including Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, along with the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association.