Welch, Crist Face Off in St. Petersburg Mayoral Vote

Voters in St. Petersburg choose between incumbent Ken Welch and former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist while also weighing a $600 million stormwater bond.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Elections

Welch, Crist Face Off in St. Petersburg Mayoral Vote

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St. Petersburg voters cast ballots Tuesday in a nonpartisan mayoral race between incumbent Ken Welch and former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. Voters are also deciding on a $600 million general obligation bond for stormwater infrastructure.

Why it matters

The outcome determines who leads St. Petersburg for the next four years and whether the city's Gas Plant District redevelopment plan changes course. Crist has said he wants to reconsider the current plan, which shifts focus away from baseball toward a mixed-use business district.

Crist led the August primary by 15 percentage points and leads the latest St. Pete Polls by 21 percentage points, based on a sample of nearly 500 potential voters. The $600 million stormwater bond and the 4-year mayoral term are also on the ballot, and the final result has not been reported.

The players

Ken Welch

Welch is the incumbent mayor of St. Petersburg and a registered Democrat seeking reelection in the nonpartisan race.

Charlie Crist

Crist is a former Florida governor who previously served as a Republican before switching parties in the mid-2000s, and is now a registered Democrat running for St. Petersburg mayor.

The details

Polls close at 7 p.m. Tuesday, and voters already in line by that time will be allowed to cast ballots. The Gas Plant District redevelopment covers an 86-acre site, and Welch selected a developer for the project, which Crist has said he wants to revisit.

August: Primary election in which Crist led the field by 15 percentage points.
Tuesday, 7 p.m.: Polls close; voters already in line may still vote.

Political Context

The election turns on the post-Tropicana Field vision for the 86-acre Gas Plant District, which Welch has moved toward a mixed-use business district and away from baseball. Crist's stated intent to reconsider that plan places the race within the longer local debate over whether the city should pursue a Rays return or a commercial redevelopment.

Residents who are in line by 7 p.m. Tuesday will be allowed to vote, while the outcome will shape whether the Gas Plant District plan proceeds as currently designed. The $600 million stormwater bond will also affect infrastructure spending decisions regardless of who wins the mayor's race.

The takeaway

Local races can shape long-term development plans, so checking where candidates stand on specific projects like the Gas Plant District is a practical way to follow the outcome. Voters weighing the stormwater bond should consider how it fits into the city's broader infrastructure priorities.