ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — Incumbent Mayor Ken Welch and former Gov. and Rep. Charlie Crist will be heading to a runoff in November to decide who will lead the City of St. Petersburg.
Crist was leading with more than 35% of the vote following Tuesday’s primary elections, while Welch received about 20% of the vote, according to unofficial results from Decision Desk HQ.
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Since neither received 50%, the two will face off again during the general election to determine who will be mayor.
Welch took office in January 2022 and has said that he believes there “is more work to be done” in his bid for re-election, with his campaign focusing on housing and public safety.
The mayor has faced some criticism over his handling of hurricane recovery, managing of high water billing errors, and the fall through of a ballpark deal. However, Welch’s campaign has touted the successes from his first term, including affordable housing initiatives, saying he hopes voters chose “proven leadership over promises.”
Early polls showed a large amount of support for Crist, who served as Florida governor from 2007 to 2011 and was the representative for Florida’s 13th congressional district from 2017 to 2022.
Crist, who was raised in St. Pete, has centered his campaign around affordability, education, economic development and hurricane response. His campaign website notes his dissatisfaction with the city’s handling of recovery efforts following Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024.
Their other opponents included Councilwoman Brandi Gabbard, former NAACP St. Pete president Maria Scruggs, former fire chief Jim Large, and neighborhood leader Kevin Batdorf.
Batdorf grew in notoriety following the 2024 hurricanes, saying that they revealed “how dysfunctional this administration is” and that he believes the city needs new leadership. His career experience includes working as a real estate broker, and he wanted to focus on infrastructure, economic development and affordable housing.
Infrastructure was also a key issue for Gabbard, who has been a council member since 2018. She said she wanted to help the city prepare against the threat of strong hurricanes and to protect homes and businesses. Her campaign website also noted how she planned to explore ways to lower utility rates and increase food access in the city.
Large touted his experience as a high-ranking city leader in his bid for the mayoral position, with his campaign focused on public safety, fixing infrastructure, and strengthening the city’s disaster preparedness.
Large served as fire chief for St. Petersburg Fire Rescue from 2006 until his retirement in March 2024, though he faced some controversy during that time as he was accused of making racist, homophobic and sexist remarks.
He was placed on administrative leave in August 2023 but reinstated later that month by Welch after an investigation determined that Large had not violated city policy.
Scruggs, who was born and raised in St. Pete, has been involved in many public service initiatives and served as president of the St. Petersburg branch of the NAACP. She was seeking to partner with the city’s employees, families, industry leaders and foundations to drive growth and create livable-wage jobs, according to her website.