Charlie Crist discusses his campaign with Watermark Out News. (Photo by Ryan Williams-Jent)
ST. PETERSBURG | Charlie Crist defeated incumbent Mayor Ken Welch in the Nov. 3 election.
Each Democrat advanced in the runoff in August, when neither received more than 50% of the vote in the primary. According to unofficial Election Night results from the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, Crist bested Welch with 62.02% of the vote.
“The voters have made a clear choice and they have selected a different mayor to move us forward,” Welch conceded Nov. 3. “I wish Charlie Crist the best in his next administration.”
Welch was backed by Equality Florida Action PAC and the Stonewall Democrats of Pinellas County.
Crist, who celebrated with a balloon drop, has pledged to support St. Petersburg’s LGBTQ+ community as mayor. He will now lead the city’s response to SB 1134 and more.
This is a breaking news story. Additional updates will follow.
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