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St. Petersburg

Hament Wins St. Petersburg District 2 Council Seat

Assistant Public Defender Gabriel Hament defeated Courtney Bermudez in the city's District 2 council race on Election Day.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections

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Gabriel Hament won St. Petersburg's District 2 City Council seat over Courtney Bermudez with 56% of the vote, succeeding term-limited Council Member Brandi Gabbard. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Gabriel Hament won the St. Petersburg City Council District 2 race over Courtney Bermudez, receiving 56% of the vote with early votes counted and Election Day ballots partially tabulated. Hament will replace term-limited Council Member Brandi Gabbard.

Why it matters

The seat opens as Gabbard reaches her term limit, giving District 2 a new representative. The race was the first midterm-year cycle for St. Petersburg municipal races since voters moved city elections to even-numbered years in 2022.

Hament raised nearly $66,000 as of Oct. 16 compared with just over $2,000 for Bermudez, who filed waivers for the past two reporting periods. Hament's campaign drew endorsements from the Tampa Bay Times, Rep. Michele Rayner, Council Member Lisset Hanewicz, and former Mayor Rick Kriseman.

The players

Gabriel Hament

Hament is an Assistant Public Defender for Florida's 13th Judicial Circuit who previously served on a Sarasota County school board committee.

Courtney Bermudez

Bermudez is a Community Association Manager for Resource Property Management who ran as a Florida chapter National Organization for Women-endorsed candidate.

Brandi Gabbard

Gabbard is the term-limited St. Petersburg City Council Member whose District 2 seat Hament will fill.

The details

Hament is an Assistant Public Defender for Florida's 13th Judicial Circuit, and Bermudez is a Community Association Manager for Resource Property Management. The race appeared on the same ballot as U.S. Senate, Governor, U.S. House, and Legislature contests, along with judicial races and constitutional amendments, and the two candidates advanced without an August primary because they were the only qualifiers.

Timeline

  1. 2022: Voters approved a charter amendment moving St. Petersburg city elections to even-numbered years.

  2. August: No primary was held because only two candidates qualified.

  3. Oct. 16: Hament reported nearly $66,000 in fundraising and Bermudez about $2,000.

  4. Nov. 3: Election Day, with results reported the following day.

Political Context

The 2022 charter amendment that moved St. Petersburg city elections to even-numbered years produced this first midterm-year cycle, shifting local races onto the same ballot as statewide contests. Local races now compete for voter attention alongside Senate and Governor races rather than in separate off-cycle elections.

District 2 residents will be represented by a new council member once Hament takes office, replacing Gabbard after her term limit. The shift in representation affects local decisions on city services and infrastructure in the district.

The takeaway

Local races now appear on the same ballot as statewide contests, so St. Petersburg voters should review council candidates alongside the rest of their ballot.

Further reading

Explore more on St. Petersburg elections coverage.

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