Tampa Mayor Jane Castor is backing St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch for re-election, delivering a high-profile regional endorsement.
The support comes days after former Gov. Charlie Crist filed to challenge Welch, as he and several other candidates vie for the mayoral seat during this year’s city election.
Castor said she has worked closely with Welch on key issues impacting the Tampa Bay region for years, and praised his steady leadership and commitment to the community.
“Mayor Ken Welch has been a thoughtful, collaborative leader for St. Petersburg and a strong partner for our entire region,” Castor said. “He leads with integrity, puts people first, and understands how to bring communities together to get things done. St. Petersburg is stronger because of his leadership, and I’m proud to support his re-election.”
Welch faces clear political headwinds as the election approaches, and other candidates are drawing from different corners of the St. Petersburg electorate.
City Council member Brandi Gabbard has leveraged her ties to the local real estate sector and City Hall experience to build a coalition that includes business interests and voters critical of Welch’s leadership, including some who have voiced frustration over recent handling of culture war dynamics with Tallahassee.
Former St. Petersburg Fire Chief Jim Large brings decades of public service experience — including 18 years leading the Fire Department — and has built early support among current and retired firefighters and conservative-leaning voters.
Former Shore Acres Neighborhood Civic Association President Kevin Batdorf has positioned himself as a grassroots candidate, tapping into neighborhood-level frustration with city leadership following recent hurricanes and recovery efforts.
Maria Scruggs has shown that she can also garner some community support of her own, already qualifying for the race by petition — showing that the perennial candidate can garner some community support even while on a budget.
And Crist has formally entered the race with more than $1 million on hand through an affiliated political committee — significantly outpacing the rest of the field and quickly establishing himself as Welch’s top challenger.
While winning the fundraising race against Crist is unlikely, Welch is hoping to garner enough support for his re-election with a little help from his friends. Castor’s backing adds support from Tampa Bay’s most powerful Democrat to a strong local coalition rallying around Welch.
That includes labor groups, local elected officials and longtime community leaders — many of whom have pointed to his handling of storm recovery efforts, housing affordability, equitable economic development, and the high-stakes redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District as reasons for their support.
Others backing Welch include the St. Petersburg Association of Fire Fighters and the Police Benevolent Association, St. Petersburg Democratic Rep. Michele Rayner, former Tampa Democratic Sen. Arthenia Joyner, former St. Pete City Council member Copley Gerdes, Pinellas County Commissioner Rene Flowers, St. Petersburg City Council member Deborah Figgs-Sanders, Gulfport City Council member Jennifer Webb, former St. Petersburg City Council Member Charlie Gerdes, former Pinellas County Commissioner Pat Gerard, and former Pinellas County Commissioner and School Board member Susan Latvala.
Welch said he is honored to now receive Castor’s endorsement.
“I’m grateful to Mayor Castor for her partnership and support,” Welch said. “The Tampa Bay region succeeds when we work together, and I’m proud of the progress we’ve made by building strong relationships across our cities. As we look ahead, I’m focused on continuing to create opportunity, expand affordable housing, and ensure St. Petersburg remains a city where everyone can thrive.”
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Ed. Note: Michelle Todd Schorsch is the Chair of St. Pete Shines, a political committee backing Crist for St. Petersburg Mayor. Todd Schorsch is married to Peter Schorsch, the publisher of Florida Politics.