Ken Welch and Charlie Crist advance to St. Petersburg mayoral runoff

Incumbent Mayor Ken Welch and former Florida Governor Charlie Crist will face each other in a runoff election for the St. Petersburg mayoralty following the August 18 primary. Because no candidate secured more than the 50% required to avoid a runoff, the race will proceed to a final vote on November 3.

In the primary, Crist received approximately 35.29% of the vote, while Welch received 20.54%. Other candidates included Jim Large, Brandi Gabbard, Maria Scruggs, and Kevin Batdorf.

Key issues in the campaign include the redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District and the potential departure of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team. Crist has criticized the current administration’s handling of stadium negotiations, describing the situation as catastrophic. The winner of the November election will be sworn in on January 7, 2027.