Pictured above: (left to right) Pete Boland, Marcile Powers, Torry Nelson, Robert Blackmon, Wengay Newton, Darden Rice, Michael Ingraham and Ken Welch are six out of the nine candidates running for St. Petersburg mayor.
Courtesy of Robert Blackmon, Pete Boland, Marcile Powers, Torry Nelson, Wengay Newton, Darden Rice, Michael Ingraham and Ken Welch.
By Michael Alden
USF students can cast their vote during the primary election on Tuesday for the next mayor of St. Petersburg to help determine which candidate will hold the keys to the city.
Out of nine candidates, only one will be tasked with redeveloping the 86-acre Tropicana Field site and addressing issues of affordable housing, policing, transportation, equity and COVID-19 recovery throughout the city.
Mayor Rick Kriseman is term-limited and cannot seek reelection. The next mayor will be sworn in on Jan. 6, 2022.
If a candidate receives 50 percent or more of the vote, they will be elected as mayor. If no candidate reaches 50 percent, the top two candidates will continue in a runoff election on Nov. 2.
The Crow’s Nest asked each candidate what message they had for USF students ahead of the primary election:
Robert Blackmon, 32, is a real estate investor and current member of the St. Petersburg City Council. He is the youngest person ever to serve on the city council. Blackmon graduated from St. Petersburg High School and earned his degree from Florida State University. He is a registered Republican.
- “Too often college students everywhere don’t vote, especially in the community where they attend school, even though you’re contributing to the local economy and we’re making decisions that affect your lives during school and your prospects afterwards,” Blackmon said. “I’ve been a supporter of USF’s presence here in St. Pete both as a business owner renting to students and as a Councilmember, and I have members of the USF community on my staff. I want this to be a city where you don’t just study now but can stay (and afford!) after you graduate, and as the only candidate who knows what it’s like to be a young person in St. Pete this millennium, I’ll do just that.”
Pete Boland, 37, is a restaurateur who owns The Galley and Mary Margaret’s Old Irish Tavern in downtown St. Petersburg. He is a registered Republican and was a vocal critic of Mayor Kriseman’s mask mandate last year.
- “St. Pete is a special place to call home that’s full of passionate residents with immense civic pride. But, St. Pete needs to be taken care of, and we can’t take care of it from the sidelines,” Boland said. “I want to remind the USF student body that elections have consequences and that our votes matter most on the municipal level. Local government affects us closely, and the people representing us at City Hall can make decisions that have a real impact on us all.”
Michael Ingram, 20, is the youngest candidate for St. Petersburg mayor in history. He is a political science major at the USF St. Petersburg. He is a native of the city and attended St. Petersburg High School. Ingram is a registered Democrat.
- “This isn’t a popularity contest or a place to vote for the most charismatic person because the person who gets elected will affect all our lives for years to come and well beyond the four years that we’re electing them for,” Ingram said. “That’s where I think I hold an advantage. I’m young. I will be around in St. Pete 50 years from now and people will be able to hold me accountable for everything that happens under my administration. I can best represent USF’s students because I’m just like you. I was at USFSP up until last semester, so I know the issues we face, especially with our lack of young representation in our government.”
Torry Nelson, 43, is a St. Petersburg native and unaffiliated with any party. He opened and operated St. Petersburg homeless shelter Stepping Stones for 10 years.
- “As a former St. Petersburg College and USF student where statistics kicked my butt, I understand and can relate to you guys as a big brother,” Nelson said. “Our generation has a lot at stake here as you guys transition into the workforce, it’s up to us to turn this thing around and innovatively take lead of our economy and future and calibrate prejudice separation. We have listened to lies for generations. It’s time for transparency. We don’t want to live in the past anymore and it’s time for the future respectively.”
Wengay Newton, 57, is a member of the Democratic party who was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2016 and served two terms. He was also elected to the St. Petersburg City Council and served from 2008 to 2016.
- “I have always been a champion of and supported USFSP my entire eight years on the St. Petersburg City Council,” Newton said. “From partnerships to renaming streets, bond funding of the new student center, student housing and the sailing center. During my four years in the legislature, my House District 70 encompassed USF at St. Petersburg, Tampa and Sarasota-Manatee. I brought home millions for the USF Carol and Frank Morsani Center for Advanced Healthcare and supported and voted for the USF consolidation making the college system Florida’s third preeminent university along with Florida State University and the University of Florida.”
Marcile Powers, 35, owns Kenwood Organic Produce and isn’t affiliated with a party. Powers is a Bradenton native and has lived in St. Petersburg for seven years. She received a bachelor’s degree in film from the University of Central Florida.
- “I want students to know that climate change and giving the land back to the people who live on it are primary concerns for this campaign. I want to create a world where home ownership is a realistic goal for their lifetime,” Powers said.
Darden Rice, 51, is a registered Democrat currently serving her second term on the St. Petersburg City Council. She was the first openly gay person to run for city office in 2005. Rice is the current chair of Forward Pinellas and a member of the Tampa Bay Water Board of Directors.
- “My message for USF students ahead of the primary election is simple: your voice and vote matter, and I would be honored to earn your support. I’m running to be St. Pete’s next progressive mayor because I want everyone to have the opportunity to thrive in our city. That means building more affordable housing, providing free pre-k and two-year college and technical training, creating good-paying jobs
,and protecting our environment,” Rice said. “We need a leader with the vision to see what’s possible and the experience to make it happen, and as a current City Council member, I have those qualities and will be ready to hit the ground running on day one. Thank you for your consideration, and be sure to get out there and vote!”
Ken Welch, 56, is a member of the Democratic party who served two decades on the Pinellas County Commission. He worked as a senior accountant at Florida Power Corp. for 14 years. Welch received his bachelor’s degree in accounting at the University of South Florida and holds a master’s degree in finance from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
- “As a third-generation St. Petersburg resident, and a USFSP alum (’85), I have deep roots in our community. I’ve seen our city aspire to greatness. Now we have the opportunity to live our values of equity, equal opportunity and sustainability. I bring 40 years of small business experience in family businesses, 20 years of corporate experience leading mission-critical financial and back-office systems for our largest organizations (Florida Power, SPC and Raymond James Corp.), and 20 years of leadership as a County Commissioner (three-term Chair),” Welch said. “I’ve led on critical issues, including housing, environmental protection, infrastructure, and public safety. I bring the best combination of private, public sector and community leadership experience to the job of Mayor. I have two daughters, and I want to make sure that we are making the right decisions to insure inclusive progress for everyone in our community, and for generations to come.”
Students can visit votepinellas.com to view their voter registration status and find out where to cast their ballot on election day.
The candidate Michael S. Levinson did not immediately respond to The Crow’s Nest’s requests for comment.
Michael S. Levinson, 79, has ran for president, the U.S. House of Representative and the U.S. Senate as a write-in candidate. He is not affiliated with a party and will be a write-in candidate for mayor. Levinson’s platform includes planting hemp at St. Petersburg homes for cleaner air and purchasing Duke Energy to turn it into a cooperative.
