As St. Petersburg’s mayoral election approaches, incumbent Ken Welch and challenger Charlie Crist offer distinct visions for the city’s leadership.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — If you live in St. Pete, you might be wondering: Who deserves my vote for mayor? Ken Welch or Charlie Crist?

Mayor Ken Welch and former Florida governor Charlie Crist are competing for your vote in the Nov. 3 General Election. It is up to registered voters in St. Pete to collectively choose who will lead the city’s administration and deliver on the services that residents need.

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Here’s what you need to know about each candidate.

Mayor Ken Welch (incumbent)

Who is Ken Welch?

Ken Welch comes from a family of trailblazers rooted in St. Pete’s history. In 1981, his father, David T. Welch, became the city’s second Black council member (the first was C. Bette Wimbish in 1969). In 2022, Ken Welch was sworn in as the first Black mayor since the city was established in 1875.

Welch grew up in St. Pete’s Gas Plant District before it was erased in the late 1970s and 1980s to make way for an empty lot in lieu of a botched development plan, and years later, for Tropicana Field and its adjacent parking lot. 

The mayor earned a BA from the University of South Florida in St. Pete and later got an MBA from Florida A&M University. After his studies, the city’s website says Welch became an accountant for Florida Power Corporation, now known as Duke Energy. He also worked as a technology manager at his father’s accounting firm.

Welch’s life as a public servant began in 2000, when he became a commissioner for District 7, representing St. Pete for 20 years at the Pinellas County Commission.

After being elected mayor of St. Pete in 2022, Welch told 10 Tampa Bay News what it meant for him to be the first African American mayor: “Folks looked at the totality of my message, my experience and what I brought to the table and voted based on that, and I think that is the essence of what Dr. Martin Luther King dreamed about.”

Welch’s tenure as mayor has faced some hurdles. His term began while the country was still dealing with the public health emergency declared due to the coronavirus pandemic. After the 2024 hurricanes, Welch was also left to deal with the damage from the storms, which brought major setbacks to his term. Those included surging water utility prices and the collapse of the Rays and Hines deal, a massive redevelopment project to restore the Gas Plant District and keep the baseball team at Tropicana Field.

“The last four and a half years have been the most challenging that our city has faced, starting with COVID and now five hurricanes, how we recover, the Historic Gas Plant, the housing issue we worked on. We got a solid track record and a plan to move forward,” Welch told 10 Tampa Bay News after the August Primary Elections in Florida.

Welch said, “When our city needed a leader during the toughest time really in our history, I was that leader who moved us forward.” He also touted the low crime rates in St. Pete.

According to his website, during Welch’s first term as mayor, he led St. Pete in expanding loan forgiveness options for households earning 80% of the Area Median Income or below, pushed for multiple resilience and repair measures after the 2024 storms, helped clear 2 million cubic yards of storm debris, and deployed targeted relief programs for small businesses, renters and homeowners. His administration has also delivered roughly 850 affordable and workforce housing units.

Priorities as candidate

Welch’s priorities outlined on his campaign website say the mayor will keep focusing on:

Affordable housing and stability: Welch wants to continue increasing supply, protecting existing residents and “ensuring growth does not come at the expense of community stability.”Safer neighborhoods and reduced crime: Welch supports “a balanced approach to public safety that prioritizes accountability, innovation and trust.” He also plans to continue investing in “community-based health initiatives, emergency response, and neighborhood improvements that enhance quality of life, from cleaner streets to safer roadways.”Jobs and workforce opportunity: The mayor’s campaign website highlights efforts under his administration to expand workforce development through partnerships, such as a program co-launched with St. Petersburg College to give workers training for construction, technical trades and high demand industries or the EDGE workforce program aiming to remove barriers to employment.Infrastructure and Climate resilience: Welch says he seeks to “safeguard homes, businesses, and public facilities while preparing the city for future storms.”Equitable growth and local prosperity: For Welch, it is important to lift economic growth in every neighborhood. For this priority, the mayor notes expansions to small business grants and technical assistance as well as directing millions in funding for small businesses owned by minorities and women.

Charlie Crist (challenger)

Who is Charlie Crist?

Charlie Crist was born in Pennsylvania but calls St. Pete home. While Crist does not have direct experience in the municipal government of St. Pete, the former Florida governor has served extensively in federal and state positions. 

Before beginning his life as a public servant, Crist obtained a BA from Florida State University and then a Juris Doctor at Samford University.

Crist went on to become state senator in Florida from 1992 to 1998. Then, he served as commissioner of education with the Department of Education in Florida from 2000 to 2002. Afterwards, he served as the attorney general of Florida from 2002 to 2007.

Crist served as Florida governor from 2007 to 2011 before going on to represent the 13th U.S. Congressional District in the House of Representatives from 2017 to 2022.

“During his term [as governor], he directed federal stimulus money to help pay Florida public school teachers,” Florida’s Department of State says about Crist. “In 2010, Governor Crist was actively engaged in Florida’s response to mitigate the environmental damage to the state’s northwest Gulf coast caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.”

Crist is currently with the Democratic Party. Before 2010, though, he was part of the Republican Party. From 2010-2012, he was an independent.

While Crist had a successful streak going from education commissioner to governor of Florida to then a representative in the U.S. Congress, he faced defeat against current Governor Ron DeSantis in 2022. DeSantis won roughly 59% of the votes (around 4.6 million votes) against Crist’s 40% (around 3.1 million votes).

Three years later, Crist has made a so-far successful bid in the race become mayor of St. Pete, topping the results in the 2026 Primary Elections with 35.29% of the votes and leaving Welch in second place with 20.54% of the votes.

Crist says his next steps will focus on being himself and continuing to work, adding that he wants to try to keep the Rays in St. Pete.

During an interview with 10 Tampa Bay News, Charlie Crist credited his performance in the primary election to St. Pete’s disappointment with current Mayor Ken Welch, stating it was a “real vote of no confidence.”

“We’ll do a better job than he did,” Crist said about Welch. “We just need competent leadership.”

Priorities as candidate

Crist’s priorities outlined on his campaign website say he wants to focus on:

Effective leadership: Crist said he often hears from St. Pete residents that “they cannot reach their Mayor. Not on big issues. Not on small ones. The door is closed.” Crist is proposing, among other measures, to set up weekly Meet the Mayor sessions with residents.Affordability: Crist promises that as mayor he will reduce the operating millage rate to “return approximately $14.8 million annually to residents and small businesses,” while preserving funding for services. He also plans to let residents track their daily water use online or through a mobile app.Hurricane response: His hurricane response plan includes a “citywide opt-in text alarm system,” information kiosks in high-traffic neighborhoods, door-to-door outreach, a neighborhood debris collection dashboard, as well as establishing a protocol to brief City Council. Smart economic development: His proposal includes assembling a “kitchen-cabinet” Economic Advisory Committee to help “identify, pursue, and close major economic development opportunities.” He also wants to prioritize the treatment of major employers, advanced air mobility, and investing in areas like Childs Park, Campbell Park and West St. Pete.Education: For Crist, “promoting education is part of how we address affordability.” His proposal includes mentorship programs, vocational training, establishing a city-supported education grant fund for teachers, and investing in after-school programs, summer learning and recreational activities. 

Any corrections on this guide or questions about the candidates can be directed to sgonzalezd@10tampabay.com