St. Petersburg, Fla. – On Tuesday, residents of St. Petersburg cast ballots in the city’s mayoral primary. Six candidates are on the ballot, and state law requires a runoff in November if no one secures more than 50 percent of the vote.
Candidates on the ballot
Incumbent Mayor Ken Welch is seeking a second term. He is joined by former Florida governor and former U.S. congressman Charlie Crist. The remaining four challengers are City Council Member Brandi Gabbard, former St. Petersburg NAACP branch president Maria Scruggs, former Fire Chief Jim Large, and former Shore Acres Civic Association President Kevin Batdorf.
Polling snapshot
Late‑July polling by St. Pete Polls surveyed 351 likely voters. In a hypothetical head‑to‑head matchup, Crist led with 45.3 percent support, while Welch trailed at 29.9 percent. The remaining 24.8 percent were undecided or declined to answer.
Key issues in the race
All candidates have focused their debates on two pressing local concerns: the city’s response to recent hurricanes and the Tampa Bay Rays’ decision to abandon a previously negotiated stadium agreement with St. Petersburg.
Crist criticized Welch’s handling of the storms, saying the city must improve its preparedness. “We’ve got to respond better to storms when they come in the future,” Crist said. He also urged the mayor to work aggressively to keep the Rays in St. Pete.
Welch defended his record, highlighting progress on affordable housing that has added thousands of units, as well as broader sustainability initiatives. He described Crist’s proposals as lacking detail and pointed to his own leadership through the COVID‑19 pandemic and five hurricanes, including Helene and Milton.
“I think a proven track record of leading our city through the most challenging period that any administration has faced, starting with COVID and then five hurricanes, including Helene and Milton,” Welch said. “The way we’ve been able to recover over the last two years to get back on our feet is a track record of promises kept – housing, education, youth opportunities, public safety.”
What’s next?
Polling locations remain open until 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Election officials have not yet released vote totals, and it is unclear whether any candidate will achieve the majority needed to avoid a November runoff.
The outcome will shape St. Petersburg’s approach to future storm preparedness, affordable‑housing policy, and the ongoing effort to retain the Rays, a major economic and cultural asset for the city.
Original reporting: Tampa Bay Florida News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
