ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As Ken Welch seeks his second term as mayor of St. Petersburg, he does so with several challengers to his seat.
And as the race nears Election Day, several issues remain at the forefront for the city, including the future development of the Tropicana Field site, business development, home affordability and the reinforcement of infrastructure ahead of future storms.
Welch’s challengers include Charlie Crist, a former governor and congressman, Jim Large, previous St. Pete fire chief; Kevin Batdorf, past Shore Acres Civic Association president; Brandi Gabbard, City Council member; and Maria Scruggs, former NAACP St. Petersburg president.
Welch and Crist remain the likely lead vote-getters.
If any candidate receives more than 50% of the total votes on Election Day, Aug. 18, they win the election outright.
If no candidate crosses the 50% threshold, the top two finishers advance to the general runoff election on November 3.
The St. Petersburg mayor can serve two consecutive four-year terms and can run again after a four-year break.
St. Petersburg Mayoral Forum: