- Chip Weiner
- It begins: Bill Foster, Rick Kriseman & Kathleen Ford in their 1st mayoral debate
There was an air of anticipation Thursday night at Suncoast Hospice in St. Petersburg, as the first mayoral debate of the summer convened before an energized and engaged audience. Though there will be a plethora of campaign forums that will surely challenge the excitement factor through the dog days of August, the fact is that it was a big deal that Mayor Bill Foster and his two major opponents, former city councilwoman Kathleen Ford and former councilman and state representative Rick Kriseman, were finally meeting under one roof to discuss the issues with a part of the electorate.
"It's a real kick in the pants," Mayor Foster said as part of his response when asked what he'd do in his first 100 days in office if he's re-elected in November. "This is not an area where on the job training ..is going to be the best move as we go forward and as we move out of this recession," he added in making the case for four more years.
Recent polls show Foster trailing his two challengers, as only two will survive past the August 27 primary. With less than nine weeks to go before that election, clarifying the differences between the candidates begins now.
This article appears in Jun 27 – Jul 3, 2013.