Council and Commission candidates to debate at the Palladium
The Catalyst Candidate Forum, with numerous City Council and County Commission candidates in conversation, will take place Oct. 7 at St. Petersburg’s Palladium Theater. The free event begins at 6 p.m.
The format for the forum includes five guest moderators, who will each provide one question. The moderators will open the evening as a panel, discussing elements of local politics.
A moderator will be assigned to each candidate pair for a 20-minute debate. The moderator will ask the five provided questions, and each candidate will have one minute to respond. With the additional time, the moderator may ask follow up questions of their choosing.
Confirmed moderators include former Mayor Rick Kriseman, former City Councilperson Robert Blackmon, St. Pete Catalyst journalist Mark Parker and Tampa Bay Times journalist Colleen Wright.
The confirmed attending candidates are:
City Council
District 3
Pete Boland, owner of The Galley and Mary Margaret’s pubs, was born and raised in Shore Acres. Boland believes in “taking a small business approach to problem-solving,” and is an outspoken advocate for government efficiency and the Historic Gas Plant Redevelopment passed by City Council this year. Boland ran for mayor in 2021.
Mike Harting, owner and founder of 3 Daughters Brewing. Harting first moved to St. Petersburg in 1983 and cites his top concerns as water infrastructure, workforce housing and “[making] sure police and first responders always have the resources they need to keep our community safe.” Harting is a first-time candidate for office.
District 5
Councilmember Deborah Figgs-Sanders is running for reelection. In her first term, she focused on issues like affordable housing, economic development and public safety. The born-and-raised Floridian describes herself as “a dedicated public servant with a heart for her community.” She is currently serving as Council Chair and is a close ally of Mayor Ken Welch.
Torrie Jasuwan, a real estate broker, co-owner of a construction company, and founder of Babycycle, Pinellas County’s only diaper bank. Jasuwan touts her bipartisan work to eliminate the Florida sales tax on diapers, and is concerned with infrastructure and affordability issues. She is a first-time candidate for office.
District 7
Former Council member and state Rep. Wengay “Newt” Newton was born and raised in South St. Petersburg. Newton describes himself as “the only candidate with proven legislative experience” and advocates for living wage jobs, public safety and homeownership. Newton ran for Pinellas County Commission in 2020 and St. Pete mayor in 2021.
Corey Givens Jr., a Baptist Minister and “proud fourth-generation St. Petersburg native.” Givens Jr. has served in numerous St. Petersburg community organizations and plans to focus on issues like safety, early childhood education, affordable housing and the environment. Givens ran for Council in 2017 and School Board in 2020.
Pinellas County Commission
District 1
Chris Scherer, a Pinellas real estate developer, is running on a platform to “bring taxes down, remove burdensome regulations and expand the supply of workforce housing.” Scherer is a first-time candidate for office.
Joanne “Cookie” Kennedy, who in 2018 became Indian Rocks Beach’s first female mayor and is currently in her third term. Kennedy prioritizes “working to restore faith in our government,” listing her top priorities as workforce and affordable housing, infrastructure, beach renourishment and public safety.
District 3
Current Pinellas County Commissioner Charlie Justice is seeking re-election to the seat he’s held since 2012. The Pinellas native credits his “open door policy and community involvement” for his success, also touting his work on protecting the environment, investing in infrastructure and balancing the county’s budget while lowering the property tax rate. Justice served 10 years in the State House and Senate.
