Gov. Charlie Crist chose one-time GOP leader Kevin Tynan to replace suspended School Board Member Beverly Gallagher -- a move that could help the governor shore up support for his own U.S. Senate bid among party activists.

Tynan, former chairman of the Broward GOP and a current South Broward Hospital District commissioner, has a long history of Republican and civic activism in Broward. He will be the only Republican on the board, although the seats are nonpartisan.

Despite his history of political involvement in Broward, Tynan, a lawyer, has no background in education. He sent his own two teenage children to parochial school.

``I bring a different perspective,'' said Tynan, 50, of Pembroke Pines. ``I'm all about the governing side of this process, which is something I think the School Board needs.''

The southwest Broward School Board seat Tynan will fill has been vacant since suspended board member Beverly Gallagher was arrested last month in a federal corruption probe. Gallagher has pleaded not guilty.

Crist, who was in Broward Monday, appeared to time the announcement to grab some attention away from his U.S. Senate rival. Crist's news release was issued a few hours before former House Speaker Marco Rubio was scheduled to speak to the Broward GOP.

Tynan said Monday he has supported Crist in the past and backs his Senate bid.

Tynan, an attorney who specializes in lawyer ethics and professional responsibility, said he could be sworn in by next week. A trial will keep him from a board workshop meeting Tuesday.

Though it was expected, the appointment of a Republican to the previously all-Democratic nine-member School Board is a victory for the county GOP because it helps the party expand its reach.

Crist is also expected to name a Republican soon to replace County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion Jr., who was suspended after a September arrest in a separate corruption probe.

The two appointments could at least give the GOP a shot at winning the seats at election time because appointees will be incumbents.

``It means that due to obvious breaches in trust by some elected officials that citizens elected, Broward Republicans are going to have an opportunity to have a voice and certainly offer a better perspective or policies on some of these boards and commissions,'' said Broward Republican chairman Chip LaMarca.

It's unclear how long Tynan will serve. If Gallagher resigns or is convicted, a special election will likely be held.

Tynan said Monday he plans to run for the seat if there is a special election.

He is nearly certain to have strong Democratic opposition at the ballot box in the School Board district that includes Pembroke Pines and Miramar and is about 53 percent Democratic and 24 percent Republican.

The last Republican elected to the board was Judie Budnick, in 1998. She retired in 2004.

Albert Jones, a longtime educator and Republican, was appointed by then-Gov. Jeb Bush in 2006 to temporarily fill the southeast Broward seat that was vacated by ailing board member Carole Andrews. Jones did not run for the seat in the special election.

LaMarca described Tynan as a ``strong conservative'' who can work with taxpayers and parents on both sides of the political aisle.

Tynan became interim chairman of the Broward Republican Party in December 2002 when then-chair George LeMieux was tapped to become the state's deputy attorney general by Crist, who was then attorney general-elect. The governor tapped LeMieux in August to temporarily fill the U.S. Senate seat that Crist is now seeking.

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