The race to represent St. Petersburg\u2019s downtown district on the City Council is getting crowded.<\/p>\n
Trevor Mallory<\/a>, 53, former president of the Democratic Black Caucus of Florida, filed paperwork Tuesday to run for District 6. He is the fourth candidate to enter the race to succeed term-limited council member Gina Driscoll.<\/p>\n \u201cI just think sitting back and watching how not only the city and the country is moving … I think we need somebody in District 6 that can work with the entire district,\u201d Mallory told the Tampa Bay Times.<\/p>\n Children\u2019s Network of Hillsborough CEO Terri Balliet, 54, became the first candidate in the District 6 race last June. Public health practitioner Linsey Grove, 38, filed to run in July. Jameka Williams, 33, who isactive in the Historic Uptown neighborhood and the Faith in Florida advocacy group, entered the race in December.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s exciting to see some of the best people in District 6 step up to serve, and Trevor is no exception,\u201d Driscoll said.<\/p>\n She said she will take some time watching the campaigns before making an endorsement.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important to find that person that I can pass the baton to who will run in the same direction,\u201d Driscoll said.<\/p>\n The announcement of Mallory\u2019s candidacy came with an endorsement from former District 6 council member Karl Nurse, who now lives outside Galway, Ireland. In his first foray into politics, Mallory in 2013 blasted Nurse for ignoring his district<\/a>.<\/p>\n Nurse said that since then, the two have worked on building affordable housing together and served on a board together. Nurse said he has not spoken to any of the other candidates, nor have they sought him out.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019ll do a good job. He\u2019s a level-headed guy who deals with what I would consider to be real issues, not just made-up stuff,\u201d Nurse said. \u201cAnd he\u2019s done heavy lifting on affordable housing, which is one of the bigger issues in town.\u201d<\/p>\n Mallory served as the District 6 representative of the Citizens Redistricting Commission in 2022. He was once also chairperson of the housing committee for the St. Petersburg branch of the NAACP. Mallory was also part of the Urban Collective investor group that previously operated the Manhattan Casino and fell out with the city<\/a> over management in 2022.<\/p>\n Mallory has never been elected to office. He ran unsuccessfully for District 6 in 2013, andin 2020 lost a challenge<\/a> of incumbentMike Twitty for Pinellas County property appraiser.<\/p>\n Malloryfiled to run for Florida House District 62 when that incumbent, state Rep. Michele Rayner, announced a bid for Florida\u2019s 13th Congressional District. But when Rayner pulled out of that race in 2022 and announced she would run for reelection in her House seat, Mallory dropped out of the raceand supported Rayner<\/a>.<\/p>\n St. Petersburg\u2019s primary election is scheduled for Aug. 18, when voters in the downtown district will select the top two candidates. Those candidates would then head to a citywide runoff in the general election set for Nov. 3.<\/p>\n Also on the ballot for that election is the St. Petersburg mayor\u2019s race, as well as three other City Council seats. In District 8, sitting council member Richie Floyd has filed for reelection and has not drawn a challenger yet. In District 4, no one has filed to run, but council member Lisset Hanewicz is expected to seek reelection.<\/p>\n