Crist wins St. Petersburg mayoral race

Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist is set to become the next mayor of St. Petersburg. Unofficial returns from the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections showed Crist holding a commanding lead over incumbent Ken Welch with 53% of precincts reporting as of 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

The race was defined by a clash over the city's recent track record. Crist campaigned on specific failures in Welch's first term, while Welch argued that his administration delivered more successes than setbacks. The debate centered on the city's infrastructure and its response to back-to-back hurricanes in 2024.

Those storms exposed aging infrastructure issues that became particularly visible in the Shore Acres neighborhood. Residents in that wealthy, flood-prone area cited a lackluster storm response, a point that resonated with local voters during the final weeks of the campaign.

The campaign also drew attention to financial ties between the candidates. Peter Schorsch, a Republican political operative and publisher of Florida Politics, is married to Michelle Todd Schorsch. Michelle Todd Schorsch served as a former Crist aide and ran his mayoral campaign.

The Schorsches' businesses received more than $1 million from the campaign. They stated that the funds were paid to external vendors for services rendered during the race. Crist secured the victory in the city, often referred to as the blue city, despite his connections to Republican donors and the Schorsch connection.