Software engineering consultant Scott Tate will challenge incumbent St. Pete Beach Mayor Adrian Petrila in next year’s election.
Petrila is facing his first re-election contest after first being elected in 2023, when he unseated then-incumbent Alan Johnson.
Tate announced his campaign on Wednesday, emphasizing community collaboration to fully restore the city after the devastating impacts of last year’s back-to-back hurricanes, including the catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Helene. His campaign is also emphasizing future resiliency.
“Like many families here in St. Pete Beach, our lives were turned upside down by the devastating storms of 2024,” Scott said. “I’m running for Mayor because it’s taken far too long for residents and businesses to get back on their feet.”
His entrance into the race highlights the ongoing political fallout from the 2024 storms, which is also unfolding in neighboring St. Petersburg, where first-term Mayor Ken Welch is facing criticism over his storm response and recovery efforts, and has already drawn one credible challenger.
In St. Pete Beach, Tate’s entrance is particularly notable because both Tate and Petrila are Republicans, though the race is nonpartisan.
And Tate’s professional experience offers a strong platform to challenge a sitting Mayor.
“Using my decades of experience in project management, I’ll realign our city’s priorities to address critical recovery needs, invest in resilient infrastructure, and help everyone fully return to their homes and businesses,” he said. “Realignment, Resiliency and Return — not just to our homes, but a return to the vibrant St. Pete Beach we all love and remember.”
Tate has not yet addressed a new issue facing the St. Pete Beach community. Petrila has proposed imposing tolls at the north, central and southern access points to the island to fund ongoing infrastructure repairs and improvements following the hurricanes. Despite his plan exempting residents, employees and business owners, it has been controversial, with some worrying such tolls would reduce tourism and other revenue-generating traffic on St. Pete Beach.
The issue will likely be a central talking point in the 2026 campaign.
Tate is a software engineering consultant, offering organizations insight into complex challenges and helping deliver projects on time and on budget. He earned an undergraduate degree in engineering and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of South Florida.
Raised in a U.S. Air Force household, Tate also emphasizes his respect for country and innate sense of community service.
Tate is already involved in the St. Pete Beach community, serving on the St. Pete Beach Police Pension Board and the Belle Vista Civic Association Board. He also plays in a local band.
The St. Pete Beach municipal election is on March 10.