3-minute voting guide: Pinellas, St. Pete midterms
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The Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections office. Photo: Octavio Jones/Getty Images
With the Nov. 3 election three weeks away, Pinellas County voters have much to consider.
State of play: Mail ballots have already gone out. Early voting is from Oct. 19-Nov. 1 at seven locations across the county.
- Enter your address here to view a sample ballot that shows which races you'll be voting in.
County Commission: Voters countywide will cast ballots in the race for at-large District 2, currently held by Republican and business owner Brian Scott.
- Challenging him is Democrat Tim Hughes, a first-time candidate who serves as conservation chair of the Suncoast Sierra Club.
- Voters in District 6, which covers mid-Pinellas and the southern beach communities, will choose between Republican incumbent and former state lawmaker Kathleen Peters and Democrat David Glenn Jr., a political newcomer and interior designer.
School board: One race will be on ballots countywide, between Dawn Peters and Curtis Campogni. School board races are nonpartisan.
- Peters, the incumbent, was elected in 2022 with support from Moms for Liberty but has since backed off some of the conservative rhetoric she ran on, per the Tampa Bay Times.
- Campogni, a motivational speaker and father of two public school students, has the backing of the Pinellas teachers' union and trailed Peters in the primary by just over 1 point.
St. Petersburg mayor: A mayor's race that began with six candidates will end with either incumbent Ken Welch or former Gov. Charlie Crist at the helm of Pinellas' largest city. Among the issues at stake:
- The future of the Tropicana Field site: Welch has picked a redevelopment plan for the site; Crist said he'd consider it but hasn't given up on keeping the Rays in St. Pete — even as a stadium plan advances across the bay.
- Leaving Duke Energy and launching a city-run electric utility: Welch said he's awaiting the results of a feasibility study; Crist said he thinks ditching Duke is a bad idea.
- How to handle funding cuts if Amendment 3 passes: Welch has warned of cuts to city services; Crist said he'd look to the highest-paid city employees for cuts first.
St. Petersburg City Council District 2: All city residents can vote in this contest between Hillsborough assistant public defender Gabriel Hament and property manager Courtney Bermudez.
- Both candidates listed storm preparedness and affordability as priorities. One issue they differ on is a referendum authorizing the city to take on debt to expedite infrastructure projects.
- Hament is a strong supporter. Bermudez told the Times she "would like to explore what other options are available."
St. Petersburg City Council District 6: Nonprofit consultant Linsey Grove and homebuyer assistance nonprofit leader Trevor Mallory emerged as the top two vote-getters in the August primary.
- Grove finished first in the primary, but Mallory has since picked up endorsements from the other three candidates in the race, plus former mayors Bill Foster and Rick Baker, per Florida Politics.
St. Petersburg ballot questions: The first asks whether to authorize the city to levy an additional property tax to accelerate upgrades to the city's drainage, sewer and water systems.
- Another asks whether the city can sell vacant city-owned parkland for affordable housing. The land is being used as a buffer around the Jamestown apartments on Burlington Avenue.
- Two questions pertain to waterfront property. The first asks to extend the lease at Harborage Marina in Bayboro Harbor, which marina reps say would help secure funds for upgrades, per the Times.
- The other would lengthen the lease period at Port St. Pete, which city officials say would help attract more businesses.
Florida Legislature: Two state Senate seats and five House seats are up for election. Most of the races pit Democratic challengers against comfortable Republican incumbents.
Yes, but: One race has a bit more intrigue.
- Democrat Lindsay Cross isn't seeking reelection for House District 60, where Democrats have a slight registration edge. It covers St. Pete from downtown north and part of Pinellas Park.
- Cross endorsed Democrat and lawyer Lindsay Polega-Quigley, while Republican and real estate broker Melissa Rutland is aiming to flip the seat.
U.S. House: Three candidates are running to represent the expansive District 16 — long represented by the retiring Vern Buchanan:
- Trump-backed Republican and former Buchanan aide Sydney Gruters; Democrat and former Sarasota Mayor Kelly Kirschner; and NPA candidate Mark Davis, known for yelling at Gov. Ron DeSantis during a news conference last year.
- The race for District 13 pits Democrat and retired Army Brig. Gen. Leela Gray against incumbent Anna Paulina Luna, who has prevailed over buzzy Democratic candidates the last two elections.
- Tony D'Arrigo, a self-described ex-Republican and "Constitution purist," is running as an independent.
Zoom out: More races are on the ballot for residents of Pinellas' smaller cities, including Clearwater, Largo, Dunedin, Seminole and several beach communities.