The race to unseat St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch includes a councilmember.
District 2 Councilwoman Brandi Gabbard told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay she feels St. Petersburg is “at a critical crossroads right now.” She wants to “hit the round running on day one of being elected.”
“We need proactive decision-making leadership that is going to help to get our city back on track,” Gabbard said. “And I believe that is the kind of leadership I have shown on city council.”
The 49-year-old real estate broker and councilmember of more than nine years said her role grants her a “unique perspective.” And in Gabbard’s campaign, “livability” in St. Pete is her main focus.
“We need to really be working, not only to help residents with affordability issues in housing, or working on various different economic opportunities to bring better-paying jobs to the city—but also to move government out of people’s way,” Gabbard said.
On that note, Gabbard counts infrastructure and permitting into the equation—both of which frustrated St. Pete residents after their homes suffered immense damage from hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024.
Gabbard said that in the aftermath of the storms, her office operated like “a triage center” for those that requested repair permits for their properties. For her, the city’s permitting process is something she’s “committed to digging into.”
“I understand, on a much more detailed level than probably anyone else who is running, how we can address those issues and really help to make sure that the government is aiding people,” Gabbard told CL.
On top of that, Gabbard said she advocates for St. Pete’s growth and development—but in a way that benefits and upholds the city’s renowned art scene.
“I think that there is a lot of work that can be done to bring those two interests together,” Gabbard said. “And it’s already happening very organically in the community today.”
Gabbard knows of the mixed conversations surrounding projects like the pink-painted Ventnor apartments—and while she supports a cross-sector collaboration, she said it’s still important to ensure artists receive actual opportunities to benefit from development—especially if developers work with them.
“I think the sky is really the limit on that and we’ve only begun to kind of scratch the surface,” Gabbard told CL. “But that collaboration and that working together, that is a cornerstone of the leadership that I have shown as a city council member and something that I would continue to lead.”
The sky isn’t the limit for Gabbard when it comes to Mayor Ken Welch’s plans to redevelop the Gas Plant District.
St. Petersburg City Council backed Gabbard when she led a resolution to put Welch’s plans for the district on hold—a move she said was made to cautiously navigate a “unique opportunity.”
“We are the stewards of the future generations, and we have a lot of promises that we have to uphold that were made to prior generations,” Gabbard said. “And there is a real call from our community to make sure that before we turn this property—or any portion of this property—over to a developer, that we are really doing it with a planning-first mindset.”
Gabbard told CL her disagreement with Welch’s fast push for the district’s redevelopment is a difference in vision and in leadership style, and she wants to make sure the city makes the correct move in painting that picture.
“We need to make sure that we are asking the right questions to be able to determine if 86 acres is really the amount of land that we should be turning over in its entirety,” Gabbard said.
For Gabbard, those questions include whether a portion of the land should be entrusted to a master developer, or whether the city should own the entire land and build much-needed resources there.
Gabbard said that some assets she’d consider for that space include senior housing and recreation, a new fire station and an intermodal center.
And it looks like Gabbard doesn’t want the city’s “process of selection” for developers to be spontaneous, either. She said she didn’t like how the council skipped its Request for Proposal (RFP) process but instead “did a reactive notice” based on a recent bid it received.
Gabbard said she’s bringing a planning initiative to council to address that and hopes that conversation will happen in April.
Gabbard and Mayor Welch do find common ground on their support for diversity, equity and inclusion.
“That’s really the fabric of what we are built on,” Gabbard said. “And St. Petersburg is a place where everyone should be able to thrive and be able to find economic opportunity and be able to be who they are, love who they love and really be respected in their respective places.”
But while Gabbard said state laws can’t touch St. Pete’s diverse identity, they could buffer the economic opportunities the city usually provides.
“Obviously, as mayor, I would do everything that I can to push back against those particular laws,” Gabbard told CL.
Gabbard said a political committee will support her but is still in its early stages—and she mainly seeks community support. She hosts her kickoff event on Tuesday, April 7 at 15th Street Farm at 5:30 p.m.
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This article appears in Mar. 26 – Apr. 1.