His cash on hand total between accounts sits at more than $366,000.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s after his committee spent nearly $500,000 during the most recent reporting period, including $340,000 to Waterfront Strategies for media production, another $19,500 for a media buy, and three rounds of direct mail totaling more than $35,000. Crist\u2019s committee also spent more than $17,000 on social media advertising, other digital advertising and text message blasts.<\/p>\n
The spending in the final days before Tuesday\u2019s Primary highlights how a funding disparity can potentially shape a race.<\/p>\n While Crist was dropping hundreds of thousands of dollars on voter outreach, the other candidates, including incumbent Mayor Ken Welch, are limited in their own outreach.<\/p>\n Welch raised just over $49,000 to his committee, St. Petersburg Progress<\/a>, in the most recent one-week reporting period. Welch\u2019s campaign raised less than $7,000, bringing its total to date to nearly $87,000. Combined, Welch has raised nearly $493,000, less than a quarter what Crist has raised.<\/p>\n Perhaps more impactful, Welch spent nearly $50,000 from his committee in the most recent period and more than $8,000 from his campaign, a little more than 10% of what Crist spent.<\/p>\n On the committee side, Welch spent $40,000 on digital advertising, with the rest going toward consulting services and credit card fees. Committee consulting fees include $7,500 to Spotlight Strategies for finance work, a firm run by Democratic fundraiser Samantha Pollara, and nearly $1,900 for community outreach consulting with Unique Agenda Consulting, which is run by Pinellas County Commissioner Rene Flowers.<\/p>\n Welch\u2019s campaign spent a little more than $6,000 on communication consulting, with MDW Communications run by Democratic consultant Michael Worley. It also matched the nearly $1,900 fee to Flowers\u2019 firm.<\/p>\n Welch is left with less than $56,000 on hand. Should he advance to a runoff in the November General Election against Crist, Welch would be grossly underfunded right out of the gate in that hypothetical matchup.<\/p>\n The rest of the mayoral field isn\u2019t doing much better.<\/p>\n St. Pete City Council Member Brandi Gabbard, who is polling within striking distance of Welch, raised just under $6,000 to her campaign, and another $5,000 to her affiliated political committee, Forward Together PC<\/a>, for a combined total of just under $11,000. To date, Gabbard\u2019s PC has raised a little over $28,000, while her campaign has brought in nearly $54,000.<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t spend much in the most recent period, with less than $900 spent from her campaign and less than $5,000 from her committee. A little over $3,000 of her committee expenses went toward texting service, with another $1,000 donated to her campaign.<\/p>\n Her campaign spent $139 on advertising with Watermark, a pro-LGBTQ+ publication, and $660 on video production, likely for social media videos.<\/p>\n Gabbard\u2019s sole donation to her committee during the period came from the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, a check likely cut due to Gabbard\u2019s stance on creating a public utility. She has publicly declared herself the \u201cDump Duke candidate<\/a>,\u201d signaling at least tacit support for ending the city\u2019s relationship with Duke Energy and instead establishing a municipal utility.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sunburn-Ad-728x90-1-e1718033295481.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/rt_webad_728x90.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n