Darden Rice was very open about the mix of emotions she felt on the morning after coming in third during the St. Pete mayoral primary, but she’s very sure about who she wants to lead the Sunshine City.
This morning, Rice endorsed former Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch in his bid to be the next mayor of St. Petersburg, saying the city is aat a crucial point in its trajectory.
“We cannot take for granted the momentum we have going or the serious challenges and issues we must address moving forward,” Rice, a native St. Petersburg-er and eight-year councilwoman, wrote in a press release. “I’m certain that there is no one better suited to be our next Mayor than Ken. His endorsements look like the community, his experience will work for the community, and together we can uplift St. Pete for generations to come.”
As Florida Politics points out, Rice’s endorsement of Welch paves a tough path for the other mayoral candidate, Robert Blackmon, who won just 28% of the vote compared to Welch’s 39%.
“More than 6,000 votes separated Welch and Blackmon, while Rice claimed more than 9,000, each from a supporter who may be encouraged to now cast a vote for Welch with their preferred candidate eliminated from the mix,” FP wrote.
Send anonymous news tips to [email protected]. Support local journalism in these crazy days. Our small but mighty team works tirelessly to bring you news on how coronavirus is affecting Tampa and surrounding areas. Please consider making a one time or monthly donation to help support our staff. Every little bit helps.
Subscribe to our newsletter and follow @cl_tampabay on Twitter.
