2013 St. Petersburg, Florida mayoral election

The 2013 St. Petersburg mayoral election took place on August 27 and November 5, 2013 to elect the [[[List of mayors of Fort Lauderdale, Florida|mayor]] of St. Petersburg, Florida. A non-partisan primary election was held on August 27, 2013. No candidate won a majority of the vote, so the top two finishers, incumbent Mayor Bill Foster and former State Representative Rick Kriseman, advanced to a runoff.

2013 St. Petersburg mayoral election
August 27, 2013 (first round)
November 5, 2013 (runoff)
 
Candidate Rick Kriseman Bill Foster Kathleen Ford
Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan Nonpartisan
First-round vote 20,336 19,470 9,648
First-round percentage 40.63% 38.9% 19.27%
Second-round vote 29,687 23,412
Second-round percentage 55.91% 44.09%
Mayor before election

Bill Foster
Republican

 Elected Mayor

Rick Kriseman
Democratic

Elections in Florida
Government

After a campaign described as "nasty",[1] "partisan",[2] "contentious" and "the costliest in [St. Petersburg] history",[3] Foster lost to Kriseman by 56% to 44%, becoming the first incumbent mayor of St. Petersburg to lose a race for re-election in more than 26 years.

Adam C. Smith of the Tampa Bay Times wrote that although 70% of voters approved of where the city was heading and Foster was "a good man who presided over no corruption scandal, no violent racial unrest", he only proved to be "adequate" at the job. He also "underestimat[ed] voters' intelligence, talking about a secret plan to keep the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg", had an "ever-shifting" position on the St. Petersburg Pier and alienated African-American voters in Midtown. Kriseman, Smith wrote, capitalized on this to win "considerable" African-American support and ran as a "safe, credible alternative for those unimpressed with the incumbent", promising to govern like popular former Mayor Rick Baker.[4]

Primary election

Candidates
  • Anthony Cates III
  • Paul Congemi, candidate for mayor in 2009
  • Kathleen Ford, former city council member (Democrat)
  • Bill Foster, incumbent mayor (Republican)
  • Rick Kriseman, former state representative (Democrat)

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 Bill
Foster (R)		 Rick
Kriseman (D)		 Undecided
St. Pete Polls February 18, 2013 690 ± 3.4% 38% 34% 28%

Results
St. Petersburg Mayoral primary election, 2013[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Bill Foster 20,336 40.63
Nonpartisan Rick Kriseman 19,470 38.9
Nonpartisan Kathleen Ford 9,648 19.27
Nonpartisan Anthony Cates III 376 0.75
Nonpartisan Paul Congemi 225 0.45
Total votes 50,055 100.00

Endorsements
Bill Foster
Elected Officials
Organizations
  • Pinellas Realtor Organization[7]
  • Tampa Tribune[8]
Rick Kriseman
Elected Officials
  • Charlie Crist, former Republican Governor of Florida and Independent Candidate for Senate in 2010[9]
  • Leslie Curran, St. Petersburg city council member[10]
  • Paula Dockery, former Republican state senator[11]
  • Dwight Dudley, state representative[12]
  • Pat Gerard, Mayor of Largo[11]
  • Charlie Gerdes, St. Petersburg city council member[12]
  • Charlie Justice, Pinellas County Commissioner[12]
  • Steve Kornell, St. Petersburg city council member[10]
  • Susan Latvala, Pinellas County Commissioner[11]
  • Janet C. Long, Pinellas County Commissioner[12]
  • Bill Nelson, US Senator[13]
  • Karl Nurse, St. Petersburg city council member[10]
  • Darryl Rouson, state representative[12]
  • Alex Sink, former Chief Financial Officer and nominee for Governor in 2010[11]
Organizations

Runoff election

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 Bill
Foster (R)		 Rick
Kriseman (D)		 Undecided
St. Pete Polls October 24, 2013 1,397 ± 2.6% 42.6% 48.3% 9%
Braun Research October 17–21, 2013 809 ± 3.4% 34% 40% 19%
Braun Research September 14–16, 2013 410 ± 4.8% 39% 40% 16%

Results
St. Petersburg Mayoral runoff election, 2013[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Nonpartisan Rick Kriseman 29,687 55.91
Nonpartisan Bill Foster 23,412 44.09
Majority 6,275 11.82%
Turnout 53,099
Democratic gain from Republican Swing

References
  1. "St. Pete mayoral candidates Foster and Kriseman defend nasty campaign mailers". WMNF. October 25, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  2. "St. Pete mayoral race turns nasty, partisan as vote nears". The Tampa Tribune. November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  3. "Rick Kriseman tops Bill Foster in St. Petersburg mayor's race". The Tampa Bay Times. November 5, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  4. "Good-enough mayor not good enough for St. Petersburg voters anymore". The Tampa Bay Times. November 5, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  5. "Pinellas - Election Results". enr.votepinellas.com. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
  6. "Gov. Rick Scott Endorses St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster". Tampa Bay Times. September 30, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  7. "Pinellas Realtor Organization endorses St. Petersburg candidates". Tampa Bay Times. June 22, 2013. Archived from the original on October 26, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  8. "Foster for mayor of St. Petersburg". Tampa Tribune. October 13, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  9. "Former Gov. Charlie Crist endorses Rick Kriseman in St. Petersburg mayor's race". Tampa Bay Times. October 7, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  10. "St. Pete City Council chairman backs mayor's opponent". Tampa Tribune. August 26, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  11. "Susan Latvala and Paula Dockery endorse Rick Kriseman for mayor". Creative Loafing. March 20, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  12. "Five Democrats endorse Rick Kriseman in nonpartisan St. Petersburg mayoral race". Creative Loafing. February 27, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  13. "Bill Nelson endorses Rick Kriseman in St. Pete mayor's race". Tampa Tribune. August 22, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  14. "Times recommends: Kriseman for mayor". Tampa Bay Times. October 18, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  15. "Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections–Municipal elections November 5, 2013". enr.votepinellas.com. Retrieved 2016-06-04.
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