2026 St. Petersburg, Florida, mayoral election
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August 18, 2026 (primary election)
November 3, 2026 (runoff) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 First round precinct results Crist: 20–30% 30–40% 40–50% Welch: 20–30% 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% Large: 40–50% Gabbard: 20–30% 30–40% Tie: 30–40% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Florida |
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 Government |
The 2026 St. Petersburg mayoral election took place on August 18, 2026, with a runoff election scheduled to be held on November 3, 2026.[1] Incumbent mayor Ken Welch, who was first elected in 2021, is seeking re-election. Welch and his main challenger, former Florida governor Charlie Crist, advanced to the runoff election after no candidate received a majority of the vote.
The election is officially non-partisan, though candidates are free to reveal their registered party affiliations. Crist and Welch are both registered members of the Democratic Party.
Candidates
[edit]Advanced to runoff
[edit]- Charlie Crist, former U.S. representative (2017–2022), former Republican governor of Florida (2007–2011), Democratic nominee for governor in 2014 and 2022, and Independent candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010 (Democratic)[2]
- Ken Welch, incumbent mayor (Democratic)[3]
Eliminated in first round
[edit]- Kevin Batdorf, former Shore Acres Neighborhood Association president[4] (endorsed Crist)[5]
- Brandi Gabbard, St. Petersburg city councilor (Democratic)[6]
- Jim Large, former St. Petersburg fire chief (Republican)[7][8]
- Maria Scruggs, former president of the St. Petersburg NAACP and perennial candidate[9] (endorsed Crist)[10]
Not on ballot
[edit]Declined
[edit]- Ben Diamond, former state representative from HD-68 (2016–2022)[12] (endorsed Crist)[13]
First round
[edit]Endorsements
[edit]Charlie Crist
- U.S. representatives
- Cheri Bustos, former IL-17 (2013–2023)[14]
- Matt Cartwright, former PA-08 (2013–2025)[14]
- Lois Frankel, FL-22 (2013–present)[14]
- Judicial officials
- James E. C. Perry, former Florida Supreme Court justice (2009–2016)[15]
- Peggy Quince, former Florida Supreme Court justice (1999–2019)[15]
- State legislators
- Ben Diamond, former HD-68 (2016–2022)[13]
- John M. McKay, former president of the Florida Senate from SD-26 (1990–2002) (Republican)[15]
- Frank Peterman, former HD-55 (2000–2008)[16]
- Darryl Rouson, SD-16 (2016–present)[17][a]
- Allison Tant, HD-09 (2020–present)[18]
- Local officials
- Rick Baker, former mayor of St. Petersburg (2001–2010) (Republican)[14]
- Dan Gelber, former mayor of Miami Beach (2017–2023)[19]
- Manny Diaz, former mayor of Miami (2001–2009) and chair of the Florida Democratic Party (2021–2023)[20]
- Individuals
- Manuel Sykes, pastor and civic leader[16]
- Newspapers
- Tampa Bay Times (co-endorsement with Gabbard)[21]
Brandi Gabbard
Jim Large
- Local officials
- Bill Foster, former mayor of St. Petersburg (2010–2014) (endorsed Crist in the runoff)[24]
Ken Welch
- State legislators
- Arthenia Joyner, former minority leader of the Florida Senate (2014–2016) from SD-19 (2012–2016)[25]
- Les Miller, former minority leader of the Florida Senate (2004–2006) from SD-18 (2000–2006)[26]
- Michele Rayner, HD-62 (2020–present)[25]
Darryl Rouson, SD-16 (2016–present)[17] (endorsement rescinded)[a][27]
- Local officials
- Jane Castor, mayor of Tampa (2019–present)[28]
- Kionne McGhee, vice chair of the Miami-Dade County Commission (2024–present) from the 9th district (2020–present)[26]
- Bobby Powell, Palm Beach County commissioner from the 7th district (2024–present)[26]
- Labor unions
- SEIU Florida[29]
- St. Petersburg Association of Fire Fighters[25]
- St. Petersburg Police Benevolent Association[25]
- Organizations
Polling
[edit]| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size[b] | Margin of error | Kevin Batdorf | Charlie Crist | Brandi Gabbard | Jim Large | Maria Scruggs | Ken Welch | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Pete Polls[32][A] | July 27–28, 2026 | 351 (LV) | ± 5.2% | 3% | 34%[c] | 15% | 9% | 3% | 19% | 17% |
| St. Pete Polls[33][A] | July 18, 2026 | 379 (LV) | ± 5.0% | 4% | 31% | 11% | 9% | 2% | 17% | 26% |
| 4% | 35%[c] | 12% | 9% | 2% | 18% | 20% | ||||
| St. Pete Polls[34][B] | March 25–26, 2026 | 538 (LV) | ± 4.2% | 2% | 23% | 6% | 4% | 5% | 19% | 42% |
| – | – | 24% | – | – | 32% | 44% |
Debates and forum
[edit]| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Nonpartisan | Nonpartisan | Nonpartisan | Nonpartisan | Nonpartisan | Nonpartisan | Nonpartisan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
|||||||||||
| Kevin Batdorf | Paul Congemi | Charlie Crist | Brandi Gabbard | Jim Large | Maria Scruggs | Ken Welch | |||||
| 1[35] | Jun. 10, 2026 | NAACP St. Petersburg Branch No. 5130 | Judithanne McLauchlan Craig Patrick Marilyn Turman |
YouTube | P | N | P | P | A | P | P |
| 2[36] | Jun. 18, 2026 | League of Women Voters St. Petersburg Area |
YouTube | P | N | P | P | P | P | P | |
| 3[37] | Jun. 24, 2026 | Bay News 9 Stronger Together St. Pete Foundation |
Josh Rojas | YouTube | P | N | P | P | P | P | P |
Results
[edit]| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Crist | 19,436 | 35.19 | |
| Ken Welch (incumbent) | 11,451 | 20.73 | |
| Jim Large | 9,852 | 17.84 | |
| Brandi Gabbard | 9,737 | 17.63 | |
| Maria Scruggs | 2,881 | 5.22 | |
| Kevin Batdorf | 1,882 | 3.41 | |
| Total votes | 55,239 | 100.00 | |
Runoff
[edit]Endorsements
[edit]Charlie Crist
- Local officials
- Bill Foster, former mayor of St. Petersburg (2010–2014) (Republican; previously endorsed Large)[24]
- Bob Ulrich, former mayor of St. Petersburg (1987–1991) (Republican)[24]
- Individuals
- Kevin Batdorf, former Shore Acres Neighborhood Association president and former mayoral candidate[5]
- Maria Scruggs, former president of the St. Petersburg NAACP and former mayoral candidate[10]
Declined to endorse
- Local officials
- Rick Kriseman, former mayor of St. Petersburg (2014–2022) (Democratic)[24]
- Individuals
- Jim Large, former St. Petersburg fire chief and former mayoral candidate (Republican)[5]
Polling
[edit]| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size[b] | Margin of error | Charlie Crist | Ken Welch | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Pete Polls[38][A] | August 31 – September 1, 2026 | 509 (LV) | ± 4.3% | 52% | 27% | 21% |
| St. Pete Polls[32][A] | July 27–28, 2026 | 351 (LV) | ± 5.2% | 45% | 30% | 25% |
| St. Pete Polls[33][A] | July 18, 2026 | 379 (LV) | ± 5.0% | 44% | 28% | 28% |
| St. Pete Polls[34][B] | March 25–26, 2026 | 538 (LV) | ± 4.2% | 36% | 31% | 33% |
Results
[edit]| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Crist | |||
| Ken Welch (incumbent) | |||
| Total votes | 100.00 | ||
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- Partisan clients
References
[edit]- ↑ "Current and Upcoming Elections". Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections. 2025. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
- ↑ Wright, Colleen (April 27, 2026). "Making it official, Charlie Crist running for mayor of St. Petersburg". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
- ↑ Wolf, Colleen (March 29, 2024). "St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch says he'll run for re-election in 2026". Tampa Bay Times. St. Petersburg, Florida. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
- ↑ Mendoza, Jesse (March 16, 2026). "Kevin Batdorf enters St. Petersburg mayoral race, criticizing city direction". Florida Politics. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Reports, Staff (August 19, 2026). "After election loss, Kevin Batdorf backs Charlie Crist for Mayor". Florida Politics. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
- ↑ Taylor, Janelle (October 14, 2025). "Brandi Gabbard commits to challenge Ken Welch for Mayor". Florida Politics. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
- ↑ Taylor, Janelle Irwin (February 7, 2026). "Former St. Pete Fire Chief Jim Large mulling bid to challenge Ken Welch". Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- ↑ Taylor, Janelle Irwin (February 25, 2026). "A Large decision: Former St. Pete Fire Chief announces bid for Mayor". Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- ↑ Wright, Colleen (August 4, 2025). "Maria Scruggs files to run for St. Petersburg mayor". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - 1 2 "Maria Scruggs, defeated last week, is endorsing Charlie Crist for Mayor". Florida Politics. August 26, 2026. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
- ↑ Taylor, Janelle Irwin (February 10, 2026). "He's back, but probably not from Africa: Perennial candidate Paul Congemi joins St. Pete Mayor's race". Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- ↑ Taylor, Janelle (August 28, 2025). "Ben Diamond will not run for St. Pete Mayor". Florida Politics. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
- 1 2 Schorsch, Peter (July 17, 2026). "Ken Welch's coalition isn't cracking. It's crumbling". Florida Politics. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Taylor, Janelle Irwin (July 13, 2026). "Ben Diamond backs Charlie Crist for St. Pete Mayor as the endorsements keep stacking up". Florida Politics. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Mendoza, Jesse (August 21, 2026). "'A fire in the belly': Bill Foster, Bob Ulrich back Charlie Crist for St. Pete Mayor". Florida Politics. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
- 1 2 "Welch ally: Charlie Crist built his career on Black and brown votes". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
- 1 2 Wright, Colleen (June 15, 2026). "St. Petersburg Sen. Darryl Rouson endorses Welch and Crist for mayor". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
- ↑ Mendoza, Jesse (July 2, 2026). "Allison Tant backs Charlie Crist in St. Pete Mayor's race". Florida Politics. Retrieved July 2, 2026.
- ↑ Taylor, Janelle (July 26, 2026). "'No one better than Charlie Crist': Dan Gelber backs former Governor for St. Pete Mayor". Florida Politics. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
- ↑ Mendoza, Jesse (June 30, 2026). "Charlie Crist rolls out Democratic backing in bid to unseat Ken Welch". Florida Politics. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
- 1 2 Mendoza, Jesse (July 30, 2026). "Tampa Bay Times splits St. Pete Mayor endorsement, but snubs Ken Welch twice". Florida Politics. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
- ↑ Mendoza, Jesse (June 16, 2026). "Florida NOW PAC backs Brandi Gabbard in St. Petersburg Mayor's race". Florida Politics. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
- ↑ Mendoza, Jesse (July 24, 2026). "Suncoast Sierra Club backs Brandi Gabbard for St. Pete Mayor". Florida Politics. Retrieved July 26, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "3 of 4 past living St. Petersburg mayors endorse Charlie Crist". Yahoo News. August 20, 2026. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Mendoza, Jesse (March 23, 2026). "Ken Welch re-election bid racks up endorsements from St. Petersburg community leaders". Florida Politics. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Mendoza, Jesse (August 4, 2026). "Ken Welch expands support from outside Pinellas in St. Pete mayoral race". Florida Politics. Retrieved August 8, 2026.
- ↑ Oliver, Liam (July 9, 2026). "Rouson drops Ken Welch endorsement, gives full support to Charlie Crist in St. Pete mayor's race". Creative Loafing Tampa. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
- ↑ "Tampa Mayor Castor endorses St. Petersburg Mayor Welch for second term". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ Mendoza, Jesse (June 30, 2026). "SEIU Florida endorses Ken Welch, citing support for working families". Florida Politics. Retrieved July 26, 2026.
- ↑ Mendoza, Jesse (July 16, 2026). "Equality Florida Action PAC endorses Ken Welch for re-election". Florida Politics. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
- ↑ Mendoza, Jesse (June 26, 2026). "Brandi Gabbard, Ken Welch spar for LGBTQ+ support in St. Petersburg mayoral race". Florida Politics. Retrieved July 26, 2026.
- 1 2 "St. Petersburg, Florida survey conducted for FloridaPolitics.com" (PDF). St. Pete Polls. July 28, 2026. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
- 1 2 Mendoza, Jesse (July 20, 2026). "Poll: Charlie Crist leads Ken Welch heads-up by nearly 14 points in St. Pete Mayor's race". Florida Politics. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
- 1 2 Mendoza, Jesse (March 26, 2026). "Charlie Crist leads Ken Welch, everyone else in poll of St. Pete mayoral race". Florida Politics. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- ↑ Mendoza, Jesse (June 10, 2026). "St. Petersburg mayoral candidates duke things out during packed debate". Florida Politics. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
- ↑ Mendoza, Jesse (June 18, 2026). "St. Pete mayoral candidates keep it civil in second debate, as Large makes first appearance". Florida Politics. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
- ↑ Mendoza, Jesse (June 25, 2026). "Charlie Crist pitches renewed Rays push during St. Pete mayoral forum". Florida Politics. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- ↑ Reports, Staff (September 4, 2026). "Poll: Charlie Crist notches majority support, posts 25-point lead over Ken Welch". Florida Politics. Retrieved September 5, 2026.
External links
[edit]- Official campaign websites
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