NAACP hosts first St. Pete mayoral debate, featuring five of six candidates

A wounded Ken Welch got circled at St. Pete's first mayoral debate

St. Petersburg is, for all its sunshine and geography-is-destiny optimism, a city of discontent. That’s not the worst civic setting to have. After all, South Florida has its corruption, Jacksonville and Orlando are soulless and Tampa is forever unfulfilled. But discontent is the ‘burg’s resting state. It’s a place stitched from dozens of well-defined neighborhoods that, come election season, get pitted against one another like the Greek and Ital…

NAACP hosts first St. Pete mayoral debate, featuring five of six candidates

Incumbent Mayor Ken Welch spoke at the debate on Tuesday, along with challengers Maria Scruggs, Brandi Gabbard, Charlie Crist and Kevin Batdorf.

St. Pete mayoral candidates square off in debate

Multiple mayoral candidates shared their vision for St. Pete's future on Tuesday as they went head-to-head in a debate.

Welch spends first mayoral debate defending his record

The NAACP hosted the first 2026 St. Petersburg mayoral debate Tuesday at the President Barack Obama Main Library, bringing together incumbent Mayor Kenneth Welch, former Florida Governor Charlie Crist, District 2 City Councilmember Brandi Gabbard, civil rights leader Maria Scruggs and former Shore Acres Civic Association President Kevin Batdorf. Former St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Chief Jim Large… Source