Election season is in full swing in St. Petersburg.
Ads are running on TV and social media. Lawn signs are popping up. Candidates are showing face at events all around town.
Every candidate who has filed to run for mayor and City Council has qualified to be on the ballot, the St. Petersburg City Clerk confirmed Wednesday. But hopefuls have until noon Friday to submit official paperwork to run for office.
The mayor’s race has six candidates, including incumbent Mayor Ken Welch, who is seeking reelection. His challengers include former Florida Gov. and congressman Charlie Crist, two-term City Council member Brandi Gabbard, former St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Chief James Large, former NAACP St. Petersburg branch President Maria Scruggs and former Shore Acres Civic Association president Kevin Batdorf.
Perennial candidate Paul Congemi, who went viral in 2017 when he told a candidate affiliated with the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement that those he represents should “go back to Africa,” withdrew from the race in a brief handwritten letter explaining that he has serious health issues.
“Tell Mayor Welch that he has my vote,” Congemi wrote.
If no one else jumps in the race, City Council members Lisset Hanewicz and Richie Floyd will get four more years in office. They currently face no challengers for their District 4 and 8 seats, respectively. Their reelection would need to be certified with a vote from the council.
Hanewicz represents the District 4 neighborhoods of Old Northeast, Greater Woodlawn, Crescent Lake, Magnolia Heights and Meadowlawn. Floyd represents the District 8 neighborhoods of Historic Kenwood, North Kenwood, Disston Heights, Ponce De Leon and St. Pete Heights.
Should no one else jump in the District 2 race representing the city’s northernmost district, then those two candidates will head directly to the Nov. 3 general election. Anyone in the city will be able to cast a vote in that race.
That’s not the case for District 6, which represents downtown and parts of southern St. Petersburg. The five candidates in that race that will face off in the primary election Aug. 18.
That race is closed to voters who live in that district. The two candidates who receive the highest number of votes in the primary election will head to a runoff in the general election, where all city voters can cast a ballot for that seat.
Here’s a list of candidates who will be on the ballot.
Mayor:
- Maria Lynne Scruggs
- Kenneth T. Welch
- James Large
- Brandi Gabbard
- Kevin Batdorf
- Charlie Crist
City Council District 2:
- Courtney Nicole Bermudez
- Gabriel Hament
City Council District 4:
- Lisset Hanewicz
City Council District 6:
- Terri Lee Balliet
- Linsey Nichole Grove
- Jameka Williams
- Trevor Mallory
- Doug Homeyer
City Council District 8:
- Richie Floyd
• • •
Tampa Bay Times Election Coverage
Congressional midterms: Can Democrats retake the US House? It could depend on Florida
Voter issues: These 4 issues make Florida’s midterms a tougher slog for Republicans
Race for the Governor’s Mansion: Is the Florida governor’s race set?
