The only mayoral forum broadcast live on television during the 2026 campaign gave St. Petersburg voters one of their broadest opportunities to compare the seven candidates seeking the city’s highest office.
Hosted by Spectrum Bay News 9 and the Stronger Together St. Pete Foundation, Wednesday’s 90-minute forum at the President Barack Obama Main Library featured Mayor Kenneth Welch, former Gov. Charlie Crist, City Councilmember Brandi Gabbard, former Fire Rescue Chief Jim Large, former Shore Acres Civic Association president Kevin Batdorf and former NAACP president Maria Scruggs. Spectrum Bay News 9 anchor Josh Rojas moderated the discussion.
The 90-minute forum focused on growth, infrastructure, affordability, government transparency and neighborhood preservation.
The evening opened with the future of the Historic Gas Plant District, where candidates largely agreed the project deserves careful consideration but differed on how quickly the city should move.
Welch defended his administration’s approach and rejected the notion that the city is committed to selecting a single master developer. He said years of planning have already produced a framework centered on jobs, housing and honoring promises made to the former Gas Plant community. Welch said he intends to make a decision on the site’s next phase by the end of June, though spokesperson Samantha Bequer recently revised the timeline to shortly after the Fourth of July holiday.
Gabbard argued the city should pause the process until additional planning is completed. She said the community deserves a stronger voice before deciding whether to sell the land or retain portions of it for future public needs.
Large, Scruggs and Batdorf also called for slowing the process. Crist said preserving Major League Baseball remains important but said he is open to either a single developer or multiple developers depending on what proves best for residents.
Storm preparedness and infrastructure generated broad agreement that the city must modernize aging systems after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Gabbard and Large repeatedly pointed to permitting delays as one of the city’s biggest failures following the storms.
Welch highlighted his proposed St. Pete Agile Resilience initiative, or SPAR, which would seek voter approval for a dedicated property tax to fund approximately $600 million in infrastructure improvements. He also cited federal disaster funding and the city’s ongoing replacement of its aging enterprise software system.
Batdorf argued the city first needs a comprehensive map of its underground infrastructure, while Scruggs called for more neighborhood-level emergency planning and communication before the next major storm.
Housing affordability produced another clear divide.
Several candidates argued that stronger wages and job growth are essential to improving affordability.
Welch defended the city’s affordable housing strategy, pointing to roughly 1,000 completed or preserved affordable units and another 1,000 in development.
Gabbard said St. Petersburg cannot build its way out of the affordability crisis and instead must focus on attracting higher-paying jobs while reducing everyday costs such as utility bills.
Large expressed concern that hotels and office buildings are increasingly being converted into luxury residential projects, reducing employment opportunities.
Batdorf emphasized expanding homeownership opportunities and assisting longtime residents with rebuilding and modernizing their homes to prevent displacement.
One of the sharpest exchanges came over the city’s relationship with Duke Energy.
Gabbard, who has supported studying a municipal electric utility, accused the administration of delaying the feasibility study and argued residents deserve a thorough evaluation before renewing the city’s franchise agreement.
Welch said the study is worthwhile but cautioned that purchasing Duke’s infrastructure could ultimately increase customer costs depending on acquisition and financing expenses.
Batdorf opposed creating a city-owned electric utility, instead proposing a short-term contract extension while exploring competitive alternatives. Large also questioned whether the city should expand into operating an electric utility while still addressing problems with its existing water utility.
The candidates also split over a proposed constitutional amendment that would significantly reduce or eliminate local property taxes.
Welch warned the proposal could force substantial cuts to city services because property taxes primarily fund police and fire operations.
Crist and Batdorf supported tax relief, arguing residents should keep more of their money and that city government should reduce spending.
Gabbard said difficult budget decisions would be unavoidable if the amendment passes, while Large and Scruggs both said city leadership should first examine internal spending before reducing public services.
The candidates also discussed government transparency, the potential elimination of property taxes and preserving neighborhood character before delivering closing statements.
Most candidates pledged greater engagement with neighborhood associations, although they proposed different approaches. Welch highlighted existing community outreach efforts, including City Hall on Tour and neighborhood meetings. Gabbard promised greater responsiveness from city departments. Scruggs proposed neighborhood-based strategic planning and public performance dashboards. Crist called for an office of government transparency, while Batdorf pledged to personally attend neighborhood meetings throughout the city.
The city’s municipal primary election is scheduled for Aug. 18. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to a runoff.