The NAACP hosted the first 2026 St. Petersburg mayoral debate Tuesday at the President Barack Obama Main Library, bringing together incumbent Mayor Kenneth Welch, former Florida Governor Charlie Crist, District 2 City Councilmember Brandi Gabbard, civil rights leader Maria Scruggs and former Shore Acres Civic Association President Kevin Batdorf.
Former St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Chief Jim Large, who is also running for mayor, did not participate in the debate.
Seating for the event exceeded capacity roughly 30 minutes before the debate began, leaving political candidates, local dignitaries and business leaders outside the closed double doors hoping seats would become available.
Once the debate began, Welch found himself in the hot seat, facing criticism from nearly every direction, with challengers targeting his administration’s hurricane response, transparency, redevelopment decisions and overall leadership.
Crist led many of the attacks. When the discussion turned to hurricane preparedness, the former governor questioned Welch’s handling of recent storms and referenced criticism surrounding the mayor’s departure from the city’s emergency operations center during Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
“We prepare before they hit,” Crist said. “It looks like we weren’t prepared for these hurricanes recently. You deserve leadership that will be prepared and do the right thing and will be at the emergency operations center when necessary and not go home.”
Welch responded that his shift at the emergency operations center had ended and that he took the opportunity to check on his children. He also challenged Crist repeatedly to explain what specifically the city should have done differently.
“I just want Charlie to be more specific about how the response could be better,” Welch said. “What specifically are you talking about?”
Crist countered that residents deserved more candor and stronger leadership from City Hall.
“Gotta be more candid with folks, and be more honest, and be more straightforward, and take care of places like Shore Acres and southside,” Crist said.
The pair also sparred over redevelopment and the future of the Historic Gas Plant District.
Crist suggested the city has experienced a series of missed opportunities under Welch’s administration and criticized the handling of major projects. Welch pushed back, defending decisions surrounding redevelopment negotiations and arguing that the city refused to compromise on affordability and community benefits.
While Crist focused on Welch’s record in office, Scruggs repeatedly challenged the administration on transparency.
“While the media would have you believe everything in St. Petersburg is beautiful, I contend it is not,” Scruggs said. “There is a lot of work to do.”
She questioned contracting practices, procurement decisions and whether residents are receiving enough information about how City Hall conducts business.
Gabbard arrived at a similar conclusion. When asked why voters should choose her after years of serving alongside Welch on City Council, she recalled lessons learned following the 2024 hurricane season.
“I think that we need to get back on track,” Gabbard said. “We need somebody who is going to lead this city from a place of accountability and transparency, and I believe that I have the record to show and the business experience to show that I am the right person in this moment.”
Batdorf also joined criticism of the administration’s storm response and neighborhood recovery efforts. Later, when asked about cooperation between St. Petersburg police and federal immigration authorities, he drew boos from portions of the audience.
“I believe that our Police Department needs to provide safety for all of our residents,” Batdorf said. “And if that means helping with taking criminals out of our city, then they have to do their job.”
Welch rejected the broader premise that the city is moving in the wrong direction.
“I’m really going to push back on folks talking our city down,” Welch said. “Of course they have to have something to run on, and they have to say how bad it is. Our city is doing well two years after the most devastating storms that we have ever faced.”
One of the debate’s closing questions asked candidates to identify a leadership decision they would handle differently in hindsight.
Welch pointed to bonuses awarded to city officials involved in the now-defunct Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal, acknowledging he should have waited until the agreement was finalized.
“These folks put their heart and soul into a deal that was going to bring us $6.5 billion of economic input, jobs, housing, office, all those things that we’ve been working for for 40 years,” Welch said. “I should have waited until that was executed and the dirt was turned. I didn’t do that.”