Hours after Mayor Ken Welch’s reelection campaign touted the endorsement of outgoing state Sen. Darryl Rouson, the St. Petersburg legislator announced Monday he was also endorsing Welch’s opponent, former Gov. and U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist.
In an email to the Tampa Bay Times, Rouson said he has not made his final decision about whom he will vote for, but said that he believes both Welch and Crist should make it out of the Aug. 18 primary election and to a runoff race in the Nov. 3 general election.
“I believe Charlie Crist meets the threshold to lead our city,” Rouson said. “Let me be clear that I’m not withdrawing my endorsement of my friend Ken Welch.”
Other candidates in the race include two-term City Council member Brandi Gabbard, former St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Chief James Large, former NAACP St. Petersburg branch President Maria Scruggs and former Shore Acres neighborhood association President Kevin Batdorf.
Rouson, who is leaving public office later this year due to term limits after 18 years representing St. Petersburg in the state House and Senate, said in his email that he has known Crist for decades and has seen his integrity and dedication to public service firsthand.
“I have always supported Charlie in his various elections and he has always included me, respected the concerns of my constituents and provided access and responsiveness,” Rouson said. “He has allowed me voice by appointing me on transition teams and commissions.”
In the endorsement alert from Welch’s campaign earlier Monday, Rouson said he endorsed Welch five years ago because he believed he was the right leader at the right time.
“After decades of knowing and working with him, I can say the values he leads with today are the same ones he has always carried: integrity, humility, compassion, and a commitment to serving others,” Rouson said in the Welch campaign message. “Those values have guided his leadership as mayor, and they are exactly what St. Petersburg needs as we continue building a stronger future for every neighborhood.”
In Rouson’s Monday evening email to the Times, he said Crist has demonstrated “leadership with compassion, integrity, and has always put people before politics.”
“Those qualities have earned my lifelong respect and admiration, and that is why I believe he too would make an outstanding Mayor for our city,” Rouson said.
Welch’s campaign spokesperson, Adrienne Bogen, said in a texted statement that the Welch camp appreciates Rouson’s longstanding support for the mayor and his recognition of the results delivered by Welch’s administration.
“We are proud of what we’ve accomplished together and look forward to continuing the work of building a city where opportunity reaches every neighborhood and every resident,“ Bogen said.
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