Conservative David Leatherwood launches campaign for Pinellas County commissioner

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – “America First” conservative David Leatherwood has officially launched his campaign for Pinellas County Commissioner District 3.

In an exclusive interview with Florida’s Voice, Leatherwood, a Florida native, said he is “excited” to launch his “grassroots campaign to advocate for the citizens of Pinellas county.”

As a political media producer in the conservative movement, Leatherwood supports an “America First” agenda. 

Leatherwood’s top priorities include “lower taxes, conservation, law and order, and preserving freedom,” according to his campaign website. 

He said Pinellas county residents have “previously elected commissioners who tout conservative values, but then turn around and vote for the largest spending in Pinellas county history.”

“Residents need a champion who will vote for rollbacks to restrict the local government – not grow it,” Leatherwood said. 

As a longtime resident of Pinellas, Leatherwood said he wanted to get involved on a local level and Pinellas county voters “deserve a conservative fighter on the board to represent their values.”

“In today’s economy, Americans are already struggling. The last thing we need to do is have our local government making it worse with higher taxes, wasteful spending, and more fees,” Leatherwood said.

Leatherwood is a staunch advocate for law and order. As a survivor of domestic abuse, Leatherwood said the “police saved my life” and he is “grateful they got me out of a dangerous situation.”

“That is why I’m so passionate about backing the blue and I will always defend – not defund the police,” Leatherwood continued.  

Leatherwood grew up in Tampa and currently lives in St. Petersburg. 

He graduated from Florida State University in Tallahassee and worked in the film and entertainment industry in Hollywood before “leaving the woke insanity of California” and returning to Florida in 2014. 

In 2016, Leatherwood said he was “inspired” to become active in politics as “an outspoken, unapologetic patriot.”

Leatherwood founded a patriotic social media platform in 2018 which became a viral sensation online, which garnered millions of views. 

Then in 2020, he said he was fired from his job at a cafe for his political views, which ended up making national headlines.

Leatherwood started working full time in the political realm, and has since worked as a Pollie Award-winning director and writer. 

He has numerous high-profile writing credits under his belt, and has launched successful campaign ads for Melania Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Ric Grenell, candidate for Arizona Senate Kari Lake, former Congressman Madison Cawthorn, R-Fla., U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., former Texas Congresswoman Mayra Flores, R-Texas, and U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla. 

“I’m running because working in politics at a national level has taught me nothing is more important than politics at a local level. That’s how you make real change,” Leatherwood said.

In 2020, Leatherwood said he was “honored” to serve on President Donald Trump’s campaign. 

Leatherwood was inducted into the “1865 Society” by the Young Republican National Federation in 2022, alongside Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and Arizona congressional candidate Blake Masters, R-Ariz. The group recognizes “young Republicans making an extraordinary impact.”

At the Florida capitol in 2023, Leatherwood “proudly testified” in favor of a bill to ban gender affirming care for minors. 

As a gay man, he said he believes the LGBTQ community is “being used like a Trojan horse by extremists in a death cult to ruin the future generation of our country by destroying their bodies.” 

In May 2023, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the legislation to “protect the innocence” of children by restricting transgender operations.

Over the past decade, Leatherwood has “taken an active role as a leader in transforming Tampa Bay into a central hub of the conservative movement today,” and will “continue to do so on the Board of County Commissioners in Pinellas.”

He said his “strong allies at the state and national levels will give him a unique advantage to local leadership.”

Additionally, Leatherwood founded the Tampa chapter of Log Cabin Republicans, a Republican organization “dedicated to representing LGBT conservatives and allies.” 

Leatherwood is running against incumbent Democrat Charlie Justice and Republican Vince Nowicki. The primary for the race is set for August 20. 

Leatherwood has been endorsed by conservative commentator Benny Johnson, host of The Benny Show Podcast. He also received the endorsement of conservative political consultant Roger Stone.

For more information on Leatherwood, visit his campaign website here.