St. Pete Mayor's race: Ken Welch, Charlie Crist head to runoff election

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The race for St. Pete's next mayor will head to a runoff election between incumbent Ken Welch and former Florida Governor Charlie Crist. 

Both candidates did not meet the 50% threshold to prevent St. Petersburg mayoral race from heading to a runoff — with Welch getting 21% of the vote and Crist getting 35% when the race was called. 

All the candidates have focused their campaigns on some of the city's biggest challenges, including the future of the Gas Plant District, hurricane preparedness, affordability and utility costs. 

Current mayor: Ken Welch

What we know:

When the incumbent candidate launched his re-election bid for St. Pete mayor, he focused on some of his successes in office, including: 

• The rebuilding of Tropicana Field after its roof was torn off during Hurricane Milton, which kept the city out of legal jeopardy.
• Storm recovery after multiple hurricanes, including Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, which required clearing a historic amount of debris.
• An affordable housing push that saw the creation of thousands of units

"We've done the work, we've been present, we've faced every challenge, and we've been transparent and forthright," said Welch. "Now, we had to tell some folks' ‘no,’ and I understand. But when we said we're running on inclusive progress, we meant that."

Welch noted his own standing in polls had been tested by two devastating hurricanes, inflation, and a Tampa Bay Rays' ownership group that ran out of money. 

Ultimately, the team is now focused on a potential site for a Tampa stadium and in talks with the city and Hillsborough County on finances regarding the project. 

Welch has defended his decision not to commit more public dollars to the failed Rays stadium deal that fell apart after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Welch has led the charge with redevelopment plans for the Trop site without the Rays — which included the future of the Gas Plant District. 

Former Florida governor: Charlie Crist

Dig deeper:

Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist criticized Welch's leadership during his time in office, saying, "I’m just disappointed in his leadership and I think we need a change."

He contended that Welch mismanaged recent hurricane recovery efforts and failed to keep the Rays from backing out of a city stadium deal. Crist pointed out that St. Petersburg already has a facility built, while Tampa does not. 

"If you want to stay in a nice stadium, you don't have to go anywhere," Crist said.

Welch did raise questions about Crist's campaign funding, noting that nearly a third of Crist's $1.8 million total comes from Republicans. Welch emphasized that most of the money is coming from outside St. Petersburg or the Tampa Bay area. 

"I don't know how he would govern, but I know when folks make those kinds of contributions, they're expecting some kind of access, or they've got something in mind," Welch said.

St. Pete mayoral candidates

The backstory:

The St. Pete Mayor's race consisted of six candidates in total, including Welch and Crist. Other candidates in the running, included: 

• Kevin Batdorf
• Brandi Gabbard
• Jim Large
• Marla Lynne-Scrugg

When is the St. Pete mayor runoff election?

What's next:

While the St. Pete mayor's race isn't done yet, the top two contenders will go head-to-head in a runoff election that will take place on November 3. 

St. Petersburg2026 Elections