US EditionCharlie Crist running to be St. Petersburg’s mayor
Crist enters the race with more than $1.2 million raised by an allied committee and early polling that shows him ahead of Welch.
- Former Florida Gov Charlie Crist filed Monday to run for mayor of St. Petersburg, challenging incumbent Mayor Ken Welch. Crist posted to social platform X, remarking, "Well it's official. I'm now a candidate for mayor of St. Pete."
- Motivated by what he described as a city "on a pause," Crist, who served as Governor and in Congress, previously supported Welch but now cites need for improved communication and economic development. He has been mulling a mayoral bid since late last year.
- St. Pete Shines, a political committee backing Crist, has raised more than $1.2 million, while Welch raised under $220,000 in the first quarter of 2026. A late March survey placed Crist at 23% support compared to 19% for Welch.
- As seven candidates vie for the seat, the August Primary will determine whether either frontrunner can exceed 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff. Political observers expect the contest to narrow to a showdown between Crist and Welch.
7 Articles
7 Articles
Charlie Crist running to be St. Petersburg’s mayor
Charlie Crist is running for office, again. The former Florida governor filed Monday to run for mayor of St. Petersburg, Fla. Crist posted a video of himself to the social platform X in which he holds paperwork and remarks, “Well it’s official. I’m now a candidate for mayor of St. Pete. God bless you all.”…
Charlie Crist officially in for ‘people first’ mayoral campaign
Former Gov. Charlie Crist, long expected to run for St. Petersburg Mayor, has officially filed for the race. Crist filed to run Monday, setting up a competitive challenge to incumbent Mayor Ken Welch. A host of other candidates, who so far have significantly less cash on hand and have lower name recognition than the former Governor, are running as well. “St. Pete has always been a city on the rise,” Crist told the Tampa Bay Times, who broke news…
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