ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Candidates for St. Petersburg mayor took part in their latest debate Tuesday.

Former governor and congressman Charlie Crist was the only one of the six people running for the seat who didn’t attend, but his name came up several times – including in reference to a social media post current Mayor Ken Welch has called on him to condemn.

“It’s been five days since one of your lieutenants, who’s married to your campaign manager, made a despicable lie about my conduct, the conduct of a city employee, and you’ve said nothing,” Welch said as part of his response to a question about what he’d say to Crist if he were there.

Welch posted a video to Instagram earlier this week saying Florida Politics Publisher Peter Schorsch posted to social media that the mayor had an affair with a city employee. In the video, Welch called it “a disgusting and flat-out lie.”

“My wife saw that post. My youngest daughter saw that post. Put yourself in my shoes and think how that would impact your own family,” Welch said in the video.

At the debate held by Suncoast Tiger Bay, a member of the group pointed out Crist’s absence and asked what each candidate would tell him. Welch was the first to approach the podium.

“The way that someone runs their campaign is the way they will run the mayor’s office. We’ve seen it in Washington. We’ve seen it in Tallahassee,” he said.

“So, mayor, we may not agree on a lot, but we certainly agree on this,” said St. Petersburg Councilwoman Brandi Gabbard, the second candidate who rose to answer the question.

“There has been a lot that has been said. There has been a lot of mudslinging. There has been a lot of dragging our community through the mud,” Gabbard said.

Gabbard raised concerns about comments she said Crist has made about the city’s and and its workers’ response to recent hurricanes.

Candidate Maria Scruggs pointed to Crist’s absence from the debate and questioned whether he would show up for voters after the primary.

“A lot of the mudslinging that is going on that is being implemented by Gov. Crist’s campaign is evident of what has worked in the past,” Scruggs said.

Crist, reached by phone, said he had no comment on the situation involving Welch and Schorsch, saying it was not an issue of his.

Asked separately about candidates’ comments on mudslinging, Crist said, “It sounds like they’re in a desperate situation. All I’m doing is telling the truth about their record. I’m going to keep telling the truth.”

Candidates Kevin Batdorf and Jim Large also commented on the campaign’s tone as part of their responses to the question about Crist.

“When I see some of the things that are going on in this campaign, it makes me sick to my stomach,” Batdorf said.

“What the mayor talked about, the low blow in this campaign, I personally know how it affects your family when you’ve been accused falsely about accusations of something that you’re not,” Large said.

Schorsch said in a statement that he is not a politician and is not on the ballot.

“I am a news publisher. And Ken Welch is attempting to intimidate a media figure who has called out the Mayor’s lack of leadership in response to the devastating hurricanes that destroyed my neighborhood,” Schorsch said. “I have questioned his leadership on many other issues. And now he is angry and desperate.”

Crist’s campaign said he did not attend the debate because of affordability concerns. The campaign said tickets to attend ranged from $25 to $75, and that only Suncoast Tiger Bay members could ask questions. The campaign said membership costs $200.

Crist held a free tele-town hall instead. His campaign said 7,500 people dialed in.