ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Incumbent Mayor Ken Welch is seeking to keep his seat Tuesday night as he faces former Gov. Charlie Crist in the St. Petersburg mayoral election.
Welch’s election night watch party is being held inside the newly renovated Manhattan Casino in St. Petersburg. The venue is a city project Welch has pointed to during his first term and is also a longtime cultural landmark for the Black community.
Welch is the city’s first Black mayor.
Earlier Tuesday, Welch voted in-person with his wife and daughter. The mayor said that was a change from his usual routine, as he typically votes early by mail.
“Feel great. I mean, it was very important ballot. I hope folks took the time to understand all the issues that will be on the ballot. But it’s great that we get to express our wishes as voters in the city and in the nation,” Welch said.
Welch’s final message to voters centered on what he described as the city’s progress and investments in infrastructure.
Despite being the incumbent, Welch is considered the underdog after finishing 14 points behind Crist in the August primary.
Welch is currently in his fifth year as mayor. Voters approved a charter amendment in 2022 to align St. Petersburg’s local elections with state and federal elections.
CRIST SPENDS TUESDAY CAMPAIGNING ACROSS CITY
Meanwhile, Crist spent the day campaigning all over the city of St. Pete. He says he is working up until the very last second to get those votes.
He spent his day surrounded by about a dozen supporters, going from sign-waving to greeting voters at a local church.
Crist said he voted weeks ago so he could dedicate Tuesday to campaigning. He was on 4th Avenue North sign-waving again. It’s a spot he has stopped to campaign over the last few months, and Tuesday was no different.
For hours Monday night, his supporters reached out to voters at a phone bank, trying to get those last-minute undecided voters.
Crist made it clear he is using his experience in public office to guide him on how to show voters he’s the best person for the job.
He has served as the last elected education commissioner, Florida attorney general, and he was the state’s 44th governor and a United States Congressman.
He says if there’s anything he knows, it’s that every hour counts leading into this election. And even with the lead he believes he has, he can’t be too confident.
“We’re at the end of the fourth quarter, to use a football analogy, and it’s just to connect with most of the voters we can, as many as we can and just get the word out,” Crist said.
When asked why he got into this race, he says he made the decision a year ago. He says that the city needs his leadership and a change.
We heard about a lot of issues from Crist as he campaigned, development deals in the city including the historic Gas Plant district, the storm water referendum and affordability were all issues he ran on.