Incumbent Mayor Ken Welch, former Gov. Charlie Crist head competitive six-way St. Petersburg mayoral race

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Voters in Florida headed to the polls for the primaries Tuesday, and in St. Pete, residents are choosing their next mayor.

St. Petersburg mayoral primary

What we know:

Incumbent Ken Welch faces five challengers in a crowded race widely expected to extend into the fall. If no candidate secures more than 50 percent of the vote in Tuesday's election, the top two finishers will advance to a runoff election in November.

Along with Welch and former Florida Gov. and Congressman Charlie Crist, the ballot features City Council Member Brandi Gabbard, former St. Petersburg NAACP branch president Maria Scruggs, former Fire Chief Jim Large and former Shore Acres Civic Association President Kevin Batdorf.

St. Pete polling data

By the numbers:

Late July polling conducted by St. Pete Polls showed Crist holding a lead in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup with Welch. Out of 351 voters surveyed, 45.3 percent indicated support for Crist, compared to 29.9 percent for Welch, while 24.8 percent remained undecided or declined to answer.

Mayoral debates among all of the candidates have largely centered on the response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and the Tampa Bay Rays' decision to walk away from a previously agreed-upon stadium deal with the city.

Candidates debate city issues

What they're saying:

Crist criticized Welch’s storm response and argued Welch should actively work to keep the Rays in St. Petersburg despite the collapsed agreement.

"We got to respond better to storms when they come in the future," Crist said Tuesday morning. "They're going to come. I mean, it's Florida, and we just have to keep working hard and listening to the people. They’re the boss. The people are the boss," Crist said.

Welch defended his record, highlighted his administration's progress on affordable housing, which he noted has delivered thousands of units to the city, and his broader sustainability agenda. He characterized Crist’s proposals as lacking specific details, while pointing to his own governance through several recent crises.

"I think a proven track record of leading our city through the most challenging period that any administration has faced, starting with COVID and then five hurricanes, including Helene and Milton," he said when asked what separates him from the other five candidates.  "The way we've been able to recover over the last two years to get back on our feet is a track record of promises made, whether it's housing or education, youth opportunities, public safety, all those promises we've kept as well as getting us back on our feet," Welch said.

What's next:

Polling sites across the city remain open until seven p.m. Tuesday.

Primary election updates

What we don't know:

Officials have not yet released initial voting tallies or ballot counts. It remains unclear whether any single candidate will achieve the majority required to prevent a November runoff election.

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