On Aug. 24, St. Petersburg voters have the opportunity to vote for city leaders, including their choice for St. Pete’s next Mayor and City Council candidates in Districts 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8. Many voters have already submitted mail-in ballots mailed out over the last few weeks.
Voting instructions are at the bottom of this post, but you might just want to be told who to vote for.
Pressing issues are on the table, and they’ve been hotly debated by candidates in recent months: Plans for the Tropicana Field Site (also known as the Gas Plant District), advancing economic recovery for individuals and businesses affected by COVID-19, affordable housing, supporting St. Pete’s workforce, enhancing public transit, and promoting climate resiliency.
Current mayor Rick Kriseman, who’s served as head of the Sunshine City since 2014, is term-limited, meaning he’s unable to run for re-election. Eight candidates, and one write-in, have filed to fulfill his role as mayor.
Multiple seats for City Council are also up for grabs. Two districts, Districts 4 and 8, are open seats, meaning incumbents are term-limited and cannot run for re-election. City Council races for District 2 and District 6, which currently have two candidates (including their respective incumbents), will not appear on the Primary ballot. However, they will appear on the General Election ballot in November (Voting Day is Nov. 8).
Let’s be real: Endorsements often have sway over who voters ultimately decide to vote for in elections. Receiving an endorsement, particularly from an organization or union, requires a vetting process—which can, more or less, inform voters on the thought that went into deciding who to endorse in a race.
Want to know who fellow city leaders are supporting? Community advocates? Organized labor? Here are all of the major endorsements—as in not every endorsement, just the bigs ones—in the St. Pete primary election so far.
Mayor of St. Petersburg
Eight candidates, and one write-in candidate, have filed to run to become St. Pete’s next Mayor. St. Pete’s government operates as a “strong mayor” government. The mayor essentially serves as the CEO of the city. While the City Council has legislative power, the mayor has veto power.
City races, including the mayoral and all City Council races, are non-partisan. Several candidates have raked in a number of major endorsements. Current mayor Kriseman has endorsed Ken Welch, a former Pinellas County Commissioner, to be his successor.
Candidates Michael Ingram, Marcile Powers, Torry Nelson, and Michael Levinson (a write-in candidate) have not received any major endorsements, as far as CL is aware
Here are the major endorsements in the St. Pete mayoral race.
Ken Welch
- Rick Kriseman, Current Mayor of St. Pete
- Charlie Crist, U.S. House Representative (D)
- Michele Rayner, Florida House Representative (D)
- State Attorney Andrew Warren (SAO13)
- Ben Crump
- St. Pete City Council Members: Amy Foster, Lisa Wheeler-Bowman, Deborah Figgs-Sanders
- Pinellas County Commissioners: Charlie Justice, Janet Long, Pat Gerard, Rene Flowers, and Karen Seel
- Bob Gualtieri, Pinellas County Sheriff
- Sean Shaw, former Florida State Rep. and Founder of People Over Profits
- Andy Oliver, Pastor of Allendale United Methodist Church
- An extensive list of LGBTQ advocates, elected officials, and St. Pete residents
- Size Matters lawyer John Morgan
- Pinellas County Young Democrats
- Pinellas County Stonewall Democrats
- SEIU Florida (with Darden Rice)
- Stonewall Democrats of Pinellas County
- National Organization of Women (NOW) PAC of Florida (with Darden Rice)
Darden Rice
- Anna Eskamani, Florida State Representative (D)
- Annette Taddeo, Florida State Senator (D)
- Gina Driscoll, St. Pete City Council Member
- Kevin Beckner, Former Hillsborough County Commissioner
- Equality Florida
- LGBTQ Victory Fund
- SEIU Florida (with Ken Welch)
- National Organization of Women (NOW) PAC of Florida (with Ken Welch)
- Emily’s List
- Ruth’s List
Robert Blackmon
- Kathleen Peters, Former Pinellas County Commissioner
- Dick Greco, Former Mayor of Tampa
- Bob Ulrich, Former Mayor of St. Pete
- Jeffrey Brandes, Florida State Senator (R)
- Larry Williams, Former St. Pete City Council member
- Kathleen Ford, Former St. Pete City Council member
- Doreen Cauldwell, Vice Mayor of Clearwater
- Iron Workers Local 397
- Florida Gulf Coast Associated Builders and Contractors
Wengay Newton
Rick Baker, former Mayor of St. Petersburg
Pete Boland
Republican restauranteur and political newcomer, says he’s been endorsed by 50+ small businesses in the Tampa Bay area in his run for St. Pete Mayor..
St. Pete City Council
Four City Council races are on the ballot for the Primary Election. If you are a registered voter in St. Pete, you will cast a vote based on the district you live in.
If no single candidate for a race receives more than 50% support, the top two candidates of that race will advance to the General Election—which will allow voters city-wide to cast their vote, regardless of their home district.
City Council District 1 endorsements
District 1 is holding an early, special election. This comes after sitting Councilmember Blackmon submitted his resignation—effective Jan. 5, 2022—earlier this year, in preparation for a mayoral run. Four candidates have filed to run in the District 1 race: Ed Carlson, Copley Gerdes, John Hornbeck, and Bobbie Shay Lee.
Copley Gerdes
- Rick Kriseman, Mayor of St. Pete
- Equality Florida PAC
- Suncoast Police Benevolent Association
- Councilmembers Amy Foster, Gina Driscoll and Lisa Wheeler Bowman
- School Board Member Bill Dudley
- The Pinellas Realtors Organization
- The International Association of Firefighters, Local 747
Ed Carlson
- Linda Chaney, Florida State Rep (R)
- Dennis Jones, Former Florida Sen. (D)
Bobbie Shay Lee
- Chris Latvala, Florida State Rep. ®
- Leslie Waters, Mayor of Seminole
- Bob Dillinger, former Pinellas-Pasco Public Defender
Candidate Ed Carlson has also reportedly received more than 110 “citizen endorsements.”
City Council District 4 endorsements
Five candidates have filed to run for the open District 4 seat, which is currently occupied by Darden Rice, who is term-limited. Rice is currently running for Mayor after serving on the City Council for two four-year terms. She has not yet endorsed a successor.
The five candidates running include: Jarib Figueredo, Lisset Hanewicz, Clifford Hobbs III, Tom Mullins, Doug O’Dowd. Two candidates, Wendy Wesley and Lauren Hobbes, have withdrawn from the District 4 race.
Tom Mullins
- Jeffrey Brandes, Florida State Sen. (R)
Lisset Hanewicz
- Emily’s List
- Florida National Organization for Women (NOW) — Lisset Hanewicz
- Pinellas County Realtors — Lisset Hanewicz
- Suncoast Police Benevolent Association
- Ruth’s List
- International Association of Fire Fighters Local 747
Clifford Hobbs III
- Pinellas County Democratic Progressive Caucus
- Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida
- Equality Florida PAC
- Pinellas Stonewall Democrats
- Florida For Change
City Council District 8 endorsements
Four candidates have filed to run for the open District 8 seat. District 8 is currently repped by City Council member Amy Foster, who is term-limited and therefore unable to run for re-election. The four candidates on the District 8 ballot are Dane Kuplicki, Jeffrey Danner, Richie Floyd, and Jamie Mayo.
Richie Floyd
- Amy Foster, St. Pete City Council
- Lisa Wheeler-Bowman, St. Pete City Council
- Andy Oliver, Pastor of Allendale United Methodist Church
- West Central Florida Labor Council
- Sierra Club
- Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida
- Democratic Socialists of America
- Dream Defenders
- SEIU Florida
- 1199 SEIU Local 1199
- SEIU Florida Public Service Union (FPSU)
Jeffrey Danner
- Ed Montanari, St. Pete City Council
- Leslie Curran, Former St. Pete City Council
- Charlie Gerdes, Former St. Pete City Council
- Suncoast Police Benevolent Association
Dane Kuplicki
- Pinellas County Realtors Association
What do these endorsements mean?
Well, that’s up to the reader.
Endorsements from individuals can be motivated by shared values, working relationships, personal relationships, political favors, or monied interests.
Groups and organizations, including labor unions, frequently endorse based on stated values of candidates and proven track records of advocacy or action to match the rhetoric they espouse while on the campaign trail.
A common critique of endorsements, particularly those awarded to so-called career politicians, is that they can overshadow earnest political newcomers.
But what all an endorsement really means will depend on the endorsing individual or organization, as well as what their endorsement process looks like. Do members of an organization democratically decide who to endorse? What criteria do they have? What do they look for in candidates?
Organizations and individuals will often release statements to explain why they are endorsing candidates for elected office. These can be vague, or specific.
If you’re curious about a specific endorsement, your best bet is to look up the endorsing entity for a statement, or contact them directly to know why they chose to endorse a specific candidate.
Voting By Mail For the St. Pete Primary
Mail ballots for the 2021 St. Pete Primary Election were sent out July 10th.
The deadline to request a mail ballot is August 14th, 2021 by 5 p.m.
How to request a mail ballot:
Email: mailballot@votepinellas.gov
Call (727) 464-VOTE (8683)
Request onlineYou can check the status of your mail ballot, or find additional information about the St. Pete Primary Election on Vote Pinellas: votepinellas.com
Voting in person for the St. Pete primary election
If you did not receive a mail ballot, or plan to vote in person, here are some important dates:
Primary Election Day: Aug. 24, 2021
General Election Day: Nov. 2, 2021
UPDATED: 08/12/21 11 a.m. Updated to make clear that listing major endorsements doesn't mean we're listing a comprehensive list of endorsements.
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This article appears in Aug 19-25, 2021.