Final St. Pete primary results and winner reactions

Results are in for the 2021 St. Petersburg primary election. While voter turnout failed to reach the numbers set in the last mayoral race four years ago, this cycle was only four percentage points lower amid a resurgent pandemic.

Ken Welch and Robert Blackmon advanced from a crowded field of mayoral candidates on Tuesday and will now face off in the Nov. 3 general election. Welch was the overall winner with 21,812 votes or 39.41%. Blackmon finished second with 15,638 votes or 28.25%. In total, 55,346 votes were cast to decide who would fill Rick Kriseman’s seat for the first time in eight years.

In 2017, Kriseman and former Mayor Rick Baker both received over 27,000 votes, or 48.36% and 48.23%, respectively. The 2017 ballot featured six candidates in what was largely a two-man race, compared with nine total candidates this year. In addition to Blackmon and Welch, Pete Boland, Wengay Newton, and Darden Rice all finished with more than 6% of the vote Tuesday night.

Wednesday morning was all about the winners, however. In addition to the two mayoral candidates, three St. Petersburg City Council seats were also up for grabs. Here are the reactions from those who are moving on to the runoffs in November:

The voters of St. Pete have spoken & I am deeply honored to be headed into November’s runoff election. Because of you, our campaign is one step closer to the inclusive progress we fight for each and every day. Thank you for joining me — together, we win! #PartnersInProgress pic.twitter.com/1L4ORs8n0I

— Ken Welch (@Kenwelch) August 24, 2021

Primary voting for city council is limited to a candidate’s district, and the top two vote-getters will move on to the general election in which the entire city can cast a vote. Either Copley Gerdes or Bobbie Shay Lee will assume Blackmon’s vacated District 1 seat after receiving 33.82% and 33.77% of the vote.

Lisset Hanewicz had a strong showing in the District 4 race that Rice has represented since 2014, with 41.84% of the vote. She will face Tom Mullins in November, who received 22.92% of the vote.

Finally, Amy Foster has also reached her term limit in District 8, with Richie Floyd and Jeff Danner moving on in the quest to fill her seat. Unlike the mayoral race – in which collecting over 50% of the vote will automatically elect a candidate – in city council elections the top two vote-getters move on regardless of the number of votes received. Floyd gained 51.84% of the vote to Danner’s 26.91%. A hotly debated City Charter Amendment that could change how city council is elected will also be on the ballot in November.

I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much to everyone who’s supported us! You have shown that when working people come together, we can build a better world!

On to the general!

— Richie Floyd (@richiejfloyd) August 24, 2021

In total, 55,451 ballots were cast out of 189, 359 registered voters in 92 precincts. In 2017, 56,640 people voted out of 169,770 registered voters in the city. The results will not be considered official until Friday, Aug. 27, when the Pinellas County Canvassing Board meets to certify official returns. The board will also canvass provisional ballots, conduct a post-election test of mail and provisional ballot scanning equipment, conduct an audit of the ballot scanning equipment, and complete a conduct of election report.

The Canvassing Board will meet on Friday at 10:00 am to certify the official election results and conduct the post election audit. It’s a public meeting, so you’re welcome to join! pic.twitter.com/WxhSGx5BjK

— Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections (@VotePinellas) August 25, 2021

The St. Pete Catalyst will continue to provide updates on the candidates and races through the general election on November 3.