Dunedin voters will choose commissioners for Seat Two and Seat Four on Nov. 3, the same day St. Petersburg voters decide a high-profile mayoral runoff between former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and incumbent Mayor Ken Welch.
Crist topped a six-candidate field in the primary with approximately 36% of the vote, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Welch finished second at about 21%. Because no candidate received a majority, the two advance to the Nov. 3 general election.
Dunedin's commission races will take place on the same date but are separate municipal elections. Dunedin residents do not vote in St. Petersburg's mayoral race, and the Crist-Welch contest will not appear on their ballots.
The Dunedin City Commission set the Seat Two and Seat Four elections for Nov. 3 under Ordinance 26-05, which commissioners adopted June 18.
Crist finishes first in six-candidate field
Crist celebrated his first-place finish Tuesday night at Cassis restaurant on Beach Drive in downtown St. Petersburg as supporters chanted his name.
"I'm full of gratitude and no attitude," Crist told the crowd.
Welch, who became St. Petersburg's first Black mayor after winning the 2021 election, held his watch party at the St. Petersburg Association of Fire Fighters headquarters. Pinellas County Commissioner Rene Flowers was among those present.
Welch said the race is now "down to one opponent and a clear choice on the path we take as a city" and called for substantive debate heading into November.
The other four candidates were eliminated. Former St. Petersburg Fire Chief Jim Large received roughly 18% of the vote, St. Petersburg City Council Member Brandi Gabbard received about 17%, and Maria Scruggs and Kevin Batdorf each finished in the single digits.
Results from the primary remain unofficial pending certification by the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections.
Crist holds fundraising advantage
Crist enters the runoff with a sizable fundraising advantage.
He raised more than $2 million between his campaign account and political committee St. Pete Shines, according to Florida Politics. As of Thursday, Crist had more than $366,000 in cash on hand, compared with less than $56,000 for Welch.
The financial advantage gives Crist a substantial campaign war chest heading into the roughly 11-week runoff.
Housing, storm recovery and Tropicana Field loom
The two candidates will head into November with several major St. Petersburg issues unresolved.
Housing affordability and the city's recovery from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which struck the region in 2024, have featured prominently in the campaign. The future of the 86-acre Tropicana Field site also remains a significant issue for the city.
Crist and Welch now have until Nov. 3 to make their cases directly to St. Petersburg voters in a head-to-head contest.
Dunedin voters have their own Nov. 3 races
While Dunedin residents will not vote in the St. Petersburg mayoral runoff, they will head to the polls on the same date to decide their own municipal races.
Seats Two and Four on the Dunedin City Commission are scheduled for election Nov. 3 under the ordinance approved by commissioners in June.
The simultaneous elections will make Nov. 3 an important day for municipal politics across Pinellas County, with St. Petersburg choosing its next mayor while Dunedin voters determine who will fill two seats on their City Commission.
