ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Two St. Petersburg City Council seats will be on residents' ballots in Tuesday's primary election.
It's a packed race with five candidates running for the District 3 seat and six for the District 7 seat. District 3 encompasses Placido Bayou, Shore Acres and Snell Isle. District 7 includes Childs Park, Melrose Mercy, Highland Oaks, Palmetto Park and parts of Central Oak Park.
The District 3 race is to replace council member Ed Montanari, who has reached his term limit of four years. He is currently the only Republican serving on the City Council, although seats are technically nonpartisan.
In District 7, the six candidates are vying for John Muhammad's seat who decided not to run.
After the primaries, the two candidates in each district that receive the most votes will move on to the citywide general election on Nov. 5.
Here's a breakdown of who is running in each district:
District 3 candidates
- Pete Boland
- Education: Culinary school at the Art Institute of Tampa, Studied at St. Petersburg College and College of Central Florida
- Owns The Gallery: A St. Pete Tavern, The Ship's Hold cocktail bar and Mary Margaret's Olde Irish Tavern
- Platform:
- Wants to expand affordable housing by "building up" using the existing housing stock
- Invest money in the St. Petersburg Police Department
- Expanding Albert Whitted Airport
- Nick Carey
- Education: Bachelor's in chemistry from the University of North Carolina
- Platform:
- Lowering the cost of living through city-owned, mixed-income social housing
- Investing in infrastructure to mitigate flooding and switching to renewable energy
- Invest in libraries, community centers and public parks
- Mike Harting
- Education: University of Florida
- 30-year career in hospitality and founded 3 Daughters Brewing, where he is CEO
- Platform:
- Repairing infrastructure such as pump stations to mitigate flooding
- Create public-private partnerships to lower workforce housing costs
- Juan Lopez
- Education: Bachelor's in Sports Administration from the University of Florida, bachelor's degree in finance from the University of South Florida
- Currently a sales executive at the Tampa Convention Center
- Platform:
- Improving infrastructure to mitigate flooding
- Supports the Rays stadium and redevelopment proposal but wants affordable housing to be "more contractually binding"
- Barry Rubin
- Education: Temple University, Executive Education Certificate from Columbia Law School
- Currently the CEO of the Treasure Island and Madeira Beach Chamber of Commerce
- Platform:
- "Fighting for our city regarding out-of-control insurance rates, affordable housing, and infrastructure, especially in the most vulnerable flood-prone neighborhoods," according to his website.
District 7 candidates
- Donald Bowen Jr.
- Education: Bachelor's in Sports Management from North Carolina State University
- Former director of operations at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital, HCA Florida Northside Hospital, HCA Florida Pasadena Hospital
- Platform:
- Affordable housing
- Public safety
- Expanding youth programs
- Eritha Cainion
- Education: Bachelor's in English Literature from the University of South Florida
- Currently the media and communications director for the Uhuru Movement, former candidate in 2017 and 2019
- Platform:
- She doesn't have a campaign website but told the Tampa Bay Times that her priorities include defending free speech including dropping the charges on the Uhuru 3, stopping the reversal of the Voting Rights Act and reparations to the Black community under the Rays stadium deal
- Treva Davis
- Education: Bachelor's in biology from Florida A&M University, master's degrees in international business and public health from Florida International University
- Currently a member of the Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital Board of Trustees
- Platform:
- Expanding programs that provide affordable housing
- Expanding youth programs
- Collaborate with organizations to eliminate food deserts
- Corey Givens Jr.
- Education: Associate's from Florida State University, Bachelor's in Mass Communication from the University of South Florida and currently pursuing a master's
- Serves on the Pinellas County Schools Independent Citizens Referendum Oversight Committee
- Platform:
- Increase affordable housing
- Repair stress and sidewalks and protect natural resources
- Increase support for early childhood education programs and provide child care and summer work programs
- Wengay "Newt" Newton
- Education: Associate's in Electronic Engineering
- Former St. Petersburg City Council member for District 7 and former Florida House Representative
- Platform:
- Supports "good paying jobs recognizing the plight of the working poor"
- Mitigating flooding in low-lying areas
- Increase affordable housing using programs such as Habitat for Humanity
- Dan Soronen
- Currently a commercial realtor and previously ran for the seat in 2022
- Platform:
- Streamline permit acquisition to 28 days
- Creating accessible housing options
- Initiating city initiatives offering interest-free loans, supporting sports programs
How can I vote in the primaries?
Since Florida is a closed primary state, voters registered to vote with no party affiliation (NPA) are not eligible to vote in this race. To find your voting precinct within your county, visit the Florida Division of Elections website and select your location.
The only statewide race on the ballot is for the Senate seat held by Republican Rick Scott.
