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{{Short description|American politician (born 1955)}}
{{Infobox State Senatorofficeholder
| name=Larry Ahern
| image name=Larry Ahern.jpeg
{{| office=Member of the [[Florida House of Representatives}}]]
| state_house=Florida
| term_start=November 202, 20122010
| state=Florida
| term_end2term_end= November 206, 20122018
| district=66th
| preceded2preceded=[[Janet Long]]
| term_start=November 20, 2012
| succeeded=Incumbent[[Nick DiCeglie]]
| term_end=
| constituency=51st district {{small|(2010–2012)}}<br />66th district {{small|(2012–present)}}
| preceded=[[Ben Albritton]]
| succeeded=Incumbent
| state_house2=Florida
| state2=Florida
| district2=51st
| term_start2=November 16, 2010
| term_end2=November 20, 2012
| preceded2=[[Janet Long]]
| succeeded2=[[Steve Crisafulli]]
| birth_date={{birth date and age|1955|04|26}}
| birth_place=[[Detroit|Detroit, Michigan]]
| death_date=
| death_place=
| alma_mater=
| spouse=Maureen Byrne Ahern
| children=Lauren Ahern, LindayLindsay Anderson, Sarah Byrne
| profession=Small businessman
| party=[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|}}
 
'''Larry Ahern''' (born April 26, 1955) is a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] politician and a former member of the [[Florida House of Representatives]], representing the 66th District, which includes northwestern [[Pinellas County, Florida|Pinellas County]], stetchingstretching from [[Clearwater, Florida|Clearwater]] to [[Seminole, Florida|Seminole]], sincefrom 2012, to 2018. Ahern previously representingrepresented the 51st District from 2010 to 2012. He ran for Pinellas County Commission in 2020, losing to incumbent [[Janet C. Long|Janet Long]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hayes |first=Kelly |date=2020-11-04 |title=Janet Long defeats Larry Ahern, keeps Pinellas County Commission seat |url=https://floridapolitics.com/archives/379866-janet-long-defeats-larry-ahern-keeps-pinellas-county-commission-seat/ |access-date=2023-06-02 |website=[[Florida Politics]] |language=en-US}}</ref>
 
==History==
Ahern was born in [[Detroit|Detroit, Michigan]], and served in the [[United States Air Force]] from 1973 to 1977, including a tour at the [[Iraklion Air Station]] from 1975 to 1977. He then moved to the state of [[Florida]] in 1978, where he started a swimming pool remodeling business.
 
==Florida House of Representatives==
In 2010, Ahern ran for the [[Florida House of Representatives]] from the 51st District, which included parts of [[Pinellas County, Florida|Pinellas County]], against incumbent [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] [[Florida House of Representatives|State Representative]] [[Janet Long]]. A contentious election ensued, in which Ahern campaigned on "conservatism and a business-friendly attitude," and in which Long aired a controversial television advertisement "in which her son, a war hero, characterized Ahern as a coward."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/first-time-candidate-larry-ahern-wins-state-house-district-51/1131918|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101107085547/http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/first-time-candidate-larry-ahern-wins-state-house-district-51/1131918|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 7, 2010|title=First-time candidate Larry Ahern wins state House District 51|date=November 2, 2010|accessdate=May 7, 2014|work=[[Tampa Bay Times]]|first=Anne|last=Lindberg}}</ref> Ultimately, Ahern defeated Long and [[Tea Party movement|Tea Party]] candidate Victoria Torres, receiving 50% of the vote to Long's 44% and Torres's 6%.
 
When Florida House districts were redrawn in 2012, Ahern was redistricted into the 66th District, which included most of the territory that he had previously represented in the 51st District. He was opposed by Mary Louise Ambrose, the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee and the owner of an insurance agency. Ambrose was endorsed by the ''[[Tampa Bay Times]]'', which criticized Ahern for voting "in lockstep with leadership and special interests to the detriment of his constituents."<ref>{{cite web|url=httphttps://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/for-a-better-florida-house/1257108/|title=For a better Florida House|date=October 18, 2012|accessdateaccess-date=May 7, 2014|work=[[Tampa Bay Times]]}}</ref> However, Ahern was re-elected over Ambrose with 53% of the vote.
 
While serving in the legislature, Ahern sponsored legislation that would "make the death of an 'unborn child' a separate crime from an offense committed against the mother," which Democrats opposed due to the fact thatbecause "[a] person would not have to know a woman is pregnant to be charged with a crime."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/17/3349902/house-unanimous-on-abortion-bill.html|title=House unanimous on abortion bill|date=April 17, 2013|accessdate=May 7, 2014|work=[[Miami Herald]]|first=Rochelle|last=Koff}}</ref> Additionally, he authored legislation that would make prosecuting identity theft easier by eliminating a legal requirement that the stolen personal information be "used to commit fraud."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tbo.com/news/politics/tax-fraud-legislation-awaits-scotts-signature-b82486750z1|title=Tax fraud legislation awaits Scott's signature|date=May 2, 2013|accessdate=May 7, 2014|work=[[Tampa Tribune]]|first=Elaine|last=Silvestrini|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508025727/http://tbo.com/news/politics/tax-fraud-legislation-awaits-scotts-signature-b82486750z1|archive-date=May 8, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
 
In April 2017, Ahern filed paperwork to run for the Pinellas County Commission District 6.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/state-rep-larry-ahern-files-to-run-for-pinellas-county-commission/2320023/|title=State Rep. Larry Ahern files to run for Pinellas County Commission|last=Puente|first=Mark|date=2017-04-12|website=Tampa Bay Times|language=en|access-date=2020-02-03}}</ref> Ahern lost in the Republican primary to [[Kathleen Peters]]. In 2020, Ahern ran for the [[at-large]] District 1 seat against incumbent Janet Long.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://floridapolitics.com/archives/340004-larry-ahern-to-challenge-janet-long-in-pinellas-commission-race/|title=Larry Ahern to challenge Janet Long in Pinellas Commission race|date=11 June 2020}}</ref> In the general election, Ahern lost a close race, receiving 49.42% to Long's 50.58%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=916421|title = Our Campaigns - Pinellas County Commissioner 1 Race - Nov 03, 2020}}</ref>
 
== See also ==
* [[Florida House of Representatives]]
 
==References==
Line 46 ⟶ 44:
*[http://www.larryahern.com Ahern for State House]
 
{{Authority control}}
{{Florida House of Representatives}}
 
{{Persondata
| NAME = Ahern, Larry
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Florida State Representative
| DATE OF BIRTH = April 26, 1955
| PLACE OF BIRTH = Detroit, Michigan
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahern, Larry}}
[[Category:1955 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:MembersRepublican Party members of the Florida House of Representatives]]
[[Category:PeoplePoliticians from Detroit, Michigan]]
[[Category:FloridaUnited RepublicansStates Air Force airmen]]
[[Category:United States Air Force personnel]]
[[Category:People from Pinellas County, Florida]]
[[Category:2016 United States Air Forcepresidential personnelelectors]]
[[Category:21st-century American legislators]]
[[Category:21st-century Florida politicians]]