Gabriel Hament has won the race to replace term-limited Council Member Brandi Gabbard in St. Petersburg City Council District 2, defeating Courtney Bermudez.

With early votes counted and Election Day ballots partially tabulated, Hament secured 56% of the vote, earning him a seat on the dais next year.

Hament is an Assistant Public Defender for Florida’s 13th Judicial Circuit, while Bermudez is a local Community Association Manager for Resource Property Management.

Hament had several advantages in the race, including a better-organized campaign with a strong fundraising presence and high-profile endorsements.

As of Oct. 16, Hament had raised nearly $66,000, while Bermudez had brought in just over $2,000. She filed waivers for the past two reporting periods, indicating she had raised nothing since late September.

And Hament enjoyed significant backing from influential locals and organizations, including the Tampa Bay Times, Rep. Michele Rayner, City Council Member Lisset Hanewicz, former Mayor Rick Kriseman, former St. Pete City Council Member Ed Montanari, former Rep. Ben Diamond, the Sun Coast Police Benevolent Association, the Suncoast Sierra Club, Stonewall Democrats and more.

Bermudez lists just one endorser, the Florida chapter of the National Organization for Women, which typically backs women candidates who support reproductive freedom, though the group also backs men whose campaigns align with its women’s rights agenda.

This is the first Midterm-year cycle for St. Pete municipal races since voters in 2022 approved a charter amendment moving city elections to even-numbered years, beginning in 2024.

That meant Hament and Bermudez appeared on the same ballot as races for U.S. Senate, Governor, the U.S. House and the Legislature, along with several judicial contests, constitutional amendments and other local races, putting the race at the bottom of a long ballot where lesser-funded campaigns can be overshadowed.

With so little money raised, Bermudez may have faced challenges reaching voters in a heated political environment where bigger-ticket races were sucking air out of the room.

Bermudez also had a limited social media presence. Her campaign Facebook page features several posts in October, but nothing in August or September. Of the more recent posts, most are unrelated to the election, including two posts supporting a local wine bar in the Warehouse Arts District.

Hament moved to St. Pete after completing law school at the University of Florida. As an Assistant Public Defender, Hament provides legal counsel and defense for those charged with a crime who are deemed indigent, meaning they cannot afford to hire a private lawyer.

Before law school, Hament worked as an investment adviser for charitable organizations and served on the Sarasota County School Board’s Financial Advisory Committee. On the Committee, Hament worked to ensure the School District’s budgets aligned with voter sentiment and provided oversight for its reserve funds.

He also previously served as a community organizer, focusing his efforts on voter access and fair representation for underserved communities.

His campaign focused on affordability, public safety and expanding economic opportunity for working people. Hament said he would also prioritize infrastructure improvements to address the impacts of climate change by focusing on coastal stormwater resiliency.

Hament also said he would prioritize constituent and stakeholder engagement, including to improve public spaces and quality of life.

The candidates did not face a Primary in August because they were the only candidates to qualify. The General Election was open to voters citywide.