Crist Wins St. Petersburg Mayor Race in 62-38 Vote
Former Florida governor Charlie Crist defeated incumbent Ken Welch after a campaign focused on city spending and the Tampa Bay Rays stadium dispute.
By Samir Doyle ·
Charlie Crist, the former governor of Florida, secured the mayoral seat in St. Petersburg on Tuesday. He defeated the incumbent, Ken Welch, to lead the city as its next mayor.
The final tally showed Crist capturing 62% of the vote against Welch's 38% with all 86 precincts reporting. This margin widened the gap established in the August primary, where Crist received 35% and Welch 20.5%. Because neither candidate reached the 50% threshold required to win outright in the primary, both advanced to the general election.
Crist addressed supporters in a victory speech on Tuesday night, more than an hour after polls closed. Standing next to his fiancée, Chelsea Grimes, he described the campaign as a unifying experience. He noted that the nonpartisan nature of the race allowed candidates of different affiliations to work together.
"It's a nonpartisan race, and I can't tell you how sweet that's been, because as you all know, it's a little toxic out there politically," Crist said. "But we have Republicans, we have Democrats, we have independents, we have Black, we have white, we have everything in this room, and it's a great thing. Saint Petersburg comes together."
The campaign featured specific disagreements over the city's direction. Crist, 70, criticized Welch's management of hurricane recovery and the city's handling of the Tampa Bay Rays. The team broke a lease to build a new stadium in Tampa after Hurricane Milton damaged the Tropicana Field dome. Crist argued the city should continue pursuing the team until construction begins in Tampa. Welch, 62, called that strategy unrealistic.
The two candidates also diverged on the 86-acre Tropicana Field site, known as the Historic Gas Plant District. Welch supports a mixed-use development selected earlier this year. Crist indicated he might send the project back out for new bids to gather more information. He also proposed a property tax cut by eliminating what he called unnecessary positions at City Hall. Crist stated that 262 positions were added during Welch's administration, a figure Welch disputed by noting many roles are funded by utility fees.
Both candidates opposed Amendment 3, a statewide ballot measure to expand homestead property tax exemptions. The proposal passed on Tuesday with 62% of the vote. Crist had previously criticized the city's spending as out of control and suggested he could have done a better job retaining the Rays on the Pinellas side of the bay.
