Fallout from a bruising race for St. Petersburg Mayor is getting louder, with some of the city’s most prominent voices saying plenty by staying silent.
Brother John Muhammad, a former City Council member and influential South St. Petersburg organizer, has announced that he will not endorse a candidate in this year’s mayoral race. That means he is withholding support from both incumbent Ken Welch, former Gov. Charlie Crist, and City Council Member Brandi Gabbard as the three Democrats and other candidates battle things out in a nonpartisan contest.
Muhammad’s decision to abstain is not the same as an endorsement of Crist, but it lands at a difficult moment for Welch — who is St. Petersburg’s first Black Mayor — after longtime St. Petersburg Democratic Sen. Darryl Rouson chose to endorse Crist while also maintaining his support for Welch.
Welch was a key backer in Muhammad’s appointment to the St. Petersburg City Council in 2022, despite pushback, to fill the vacancy left by Lisa Wheeler-Bowman. But Muhammad announced Tuesday that he’s not returning the favor while out on the campaign trail this year.
“After careful consideration — and after a few requests for my endorsement — I’ve decided not to publicly endorse candidates this election cycle. Be clear: I will vote. Also true: There are candidates I know, respect, and believe would serve our community well. My decision isn’t about them. It’s about me choosing not to turn my personal voting decisions into public debates or social media back-and-forths,” Muhammad wrote on social media.
Muhammad has long been a visible voice in the city’s civic life, particularly in conversations about community power, neighborhood leadership and South St. Petersburg’s future. His website describes him as a community organizer, leadership facilitator, trainer and former City Council member whose work has focused on elevating community voices, developing local leadership and creating solutions through collaboration and civic engagement.
In a race where Welch’s path to re-election depends on holding together the coalition that helped elect him, Muhammad’s decision is meaningful.
Welch entered his re-election bid already behind in the funding race and internal turmoil within his political operation. Since then he has leaned on his experience as the incumbent, his deep roots in the city and long-term vision for communities such as south St. Petersburg.
But pressure has been building as Crist’s campaign picks up steam and Welch continues to take hits from other candidates in the race.
Welch took most of the incoming fire at the first mayoral debate, where candidates criticized his administration over hurricane recovery, the failed Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal, water billing problems and his decision to cancel a planned Moffitt Cancer Center project early in his term.
Crist has also leaned into that criticism, releasing a digital ad focused on the Moffitt issue this week. Crist was later spotted at a news conference calling on the Tampa Sports Authority to cancel a Ye concert over concerns about antisemitic behavior.
Gabbard has seized on topics such as housing affordability, storm resilience and food access, and has resisted Welch’s approach to Historic Gas Plant District redevelopment from within the Council and on the campaign trail. Gabbard has also captured at least some support from members of the LGBTQ+ community frustrated with Welch’s handling of Tallahassee culture wars.
Other candidates such as former St. Petersburg Fire Chief Jim Large have also criticized Welch’s leadership, launching his campaign by stating that “leadership takes courage to act, not just talk.” Large’s pull with conservatives, first responders, and emphasis on infrastructure, disaster recovery and resilience also chips away at available votes.
Grassroots candidates such as jail administrator Maria Scruggs and Former Shore Acres Neighborhood Association President Kevin Batdorf remain long shots in the race, to say the least, but are also tapping into community support from local residents frustrated with the current administration.
Welch launched his campaign with major support from his friends, receiving strong endorsements from many St. Petersburg community leaders and even Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
His supporters also include Rep. Michele Rayner, former Sen. Arthenia Joyner, Pinellas County Commissioner Rene Flowers, City Council Member Deborah Figgs-Sanders, a coalition of St. Petersburg faith leaders, the St. Petersburg Association of Fire Fighters, the Sun Coast Police Benevolent Association, and many others.
Now, though, the endorsement politics are becoming their own problem for Welch, with Rouson’s dual nod and Muhammad’s refusal to endorse anyone suggesting that some of the city’s most influential voices are no longer willing to present a united front behind him — and they may not be alone.
Rouson said he believes both Crist and Welch should advance out of the Primary and are qualified to run the city, but he stopped short of saying which candidate he plans to vote for. Although Rouson still supports Welch, his additional support for Crist in essence gives permission for those looking to his guidance to vote against Welch if they so choose. Muhammad said his silence is also meant to give community members the opportunity to vote without his sway.
That matters in South St. Petersburg, a voting base that Welch is relying on, where political relationships are personal, endorsements carry weight and silence from a trusted community voice is nearly as notable as a public rebuke.
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Ed. Note: Michelle Todd Schorsch is the Chair of St. Pete Shines, a political committee backing Crist for St. Petersburg Mayor. Todd Schorsch is married to Peter Schorsch, the publisher of Florida Politics.