Crist to Face Welch in St. Petersburg Mayoral Runoff
In St. Petersburg, Florida, Charlie Crist secured a primary victory over incumbent Mayor Ken Welch, but neither candidate reached the 50% threshold. Both will proceed to a runoff election for the mayoral seat in the general election on November 3rd.
Tampa St. Petersburg, FL, August 19, 2026 —
St. Petersburg, Florida will see a runoff election for its mayoral seat, as neither primary candidate secured a majority of the vote. Charlie Crist achieved a primary victory over incumbent Mayor Ken Welch. However, neither candidate surpassed the 50% mark needed to win outright in the primary election.
As a result, both Crist and Welch will advance to the general election, scheduled for November 3rd. The outcome means that voters will have another opportunity to decide between the two candidates for leadership of the city.
The specific vote percentages for each candidate were not provided in the summary. The details regarding the campaign platforms or specific issues that led to this electoral outcome were also not available.
Further information regarding the campaign strategies, voter turnout in the primary, or the platforms of Charlie Crist and Ken Welch was not included in the provided details. The runoff election will determine who ultimately holds the position of Mayor of St. Petersburg.
Story summarized from the original created by Steve Newborn/WUSF on stpetecatalyst.com, see more information here.
