St. Pete Mayoral Race: Gabbard and Batdorf Unveil Visionary...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — As the August election approaches, five hopefuls have stepped up to challenge St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, with the candidate roster expected to expand when the qualifying window opens in May.

Among the recent entrants to this competitive mayoral race is Kevin Batdorf, who previously served as President of the Shore Acres Civic Association.

Batdorf expressed his motivation for running, stating, “I’m entering the race because I don’t see any other viable options at the moment. I believe what our city needs is strong leadership coupled with common sense, and I am confident I can provide that.”

Batdorf became more widely recognized in the aftermath of the hurricanes that struck in 2024.

“After the hurricanes, I’ve seen how dysfunctional this administration is,” Batdorf said.

Recently, two Pinellas beach communities voted out their incumbent mayors. The newly elected leaders said those moves stemmed from recovery efforts. Batdorf suspects the same to happen in St. Pete.

“There was no real plan in place in St. Petersburg for post disaster remedies,” Batdorf said.

St. Pete Council Member Brandi Gabbard hopes she’s the one who voters elect to lead the city.

“I really think that our city is just at a crucial crossroads. So many people are having challenges with livability, we have challenges with our infrastructure. I really think we are in a place where we need transparent collaborative leadership,” Gabbard said.

Gabbard has been a council member since 2018. She plans to help the city prepare against the threat of rising seas and strong hurricanes to protect homes and businesses.

“Resiliency is going to be a cornerstone of everything we do at the city under my administration,” Gabbard said.

Another big topic concerns the future of the Historic Gas Plant District.

“I’m very committed to a planning first framework as I have expressed on city council,” Gabbard said.

The city leader said St. Petersburg needs more planning, along with voices from residents, before breathing new life into the area next to Tropicana Field.

“We can make sure that we are really utilizing it for a financial strategy about how we grow and how we develop. I don’t know if we’ve answered any of those questions yet,” Gabbard said.

That’s a difference from incumbent Mayor Welch who wants more action taken sooner on new development.

“It should be a hot topic for the next several years, but this mayor is trying to push through a development plan that frankly doesn’t make sense,” Batdorf said.

Batdorf said he is a fan of, what he calls, smart development.

“We need a master plan for the entire development. Not one developer come in and put up whatever he thinks is appropriate at any given time,” Batdorf said.

Former Fire Chief Jim Large is also running. It’s expected that former Gov. and Rep. Charlie Crist will enter the race.

Mayor Welch’s Campaign Senior Advisor Adrienne Bogen released the following statement:

“Elections are about choices, and we welcome Kevin and Brandi to the race. But while others are just entering the conversation, Mayor Welch has been doing the work — leading through challenges, delivering for residents, and laying the foundation for St. Petersburg’s future. We’re confident voters will choose proven leadership over promises.”

To learn more about the candidates:

Perennial candidate Paul Congemi is also running.

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St. Pete Mayoral Race: Gabbard and Batdorf Unveil Visionary Plans for the City’s Future

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