St. Pete council candidates reflect on election wins
Over 81% of registered Pinellas County voters cast ballots in 2024, despite suffering from widespread storm impacts and polling location changes.
Voters reelected the St. Petersburg City Council's chairperson in a landslide, and less than one percentage point separate District 5 candidates Pete Boland and Mike Harting . Corey Givens Jr. upset political stalwart Wengay Newton in District 7.
Republican Vincent Nowicki ousted longtime County Commissioner Charlie Justice, a Democrat and West St. Petersburg resident. Commissioner Renee Flowers, who also lives in the city, is now the only Democrat on the seven-person board after Chris Sherer defeated Joanne "Cookie" Kennedy in a race to replace outgoing Commissioner Janet Long.
Those and other local contests will help decide the city's future for years to come. Re-elected Council Chair Deborah Figgs-Sanders said she felt "extremely blessed" the morning after a momentous election.
"You're only as good as the people you're surrounded by," Figgs-Sanders told the Catalyst. "And I was surrounded by some really awesome people. But also – I worked hard.
"Nothing was given to me. I didn't try to buy or pay for it. I earned it."
Many stakeholders thought small business owner, real estate broker and philanthropist Torrie Jasuwan recently gained ground in District 5. The challenger garnered 35.21% of the vote, ultimately losing to Figgs-Sanders.
Figgs-Sanders said she would never take anything or anyone for granted and kept her "foot on the gas" despite early polling showing a comfortable lead. She said a healthy dose of nerves centered around the people she represents rather than losing the race.
"The people I serve are the ones who feel like they don't have a voice," Figgs-Sanders added. "The ones who don't get the attention they deserve. The ones who pay the same tax dollars as everyone else but, a lot of times, still don't have those same opportunities."
Givens, an ordained minister and community activist, said he is "ready to take my service to the next level." He trailed Newton – a former city councilman and state representative – in the primary election but secured 52.48% of the vote when it counted.
"It's so nice to finally be in a position where I can truly impact change and reach back and help the city that raised me," Givens said. "St. Pete is my home; it's my family, and I'm just so excited that over 60,000 voters entrusted me with their future."
Givens will replace John Muhammad on the dais after the appointed councilmember decided against running a reelection campaign. While his South St. Petersburg district is "one of the most poverty-stricken," Givens said he has lived and understands those hurdles and will find strategic solutions.
"I don't have all the answers, but I have a collation of people behind me who are willing to roll up their sleeves, get to work and find those solutions," he added. "I'm just excited to unite St. Pete – old, young, white, Black, rich, poor – all folks from all walks of life. We're all in this together."
Harting and Boland, both bar and restaurant owners, provided St. Petersburg stakeholders with a photo-finish race. The former candidate garnered 990 more votes than the latter in District 5, a .86% difference.
Dustin Chase, assistant supervisor of elections, explained that a contest must fall within a half-percent to trigger a machine recount. According to Florida law, manual recounts occur if the vote differential is under .25%.
"It's just plain awesome," Harting said of his victory. "I don't know any other way to describe it."
The two candidates ran amicable campaigns; Boland quickly congratulated Harting and conceded Tuesday night. Harting expressed pride for his team's efforts but said both camps "got their message out very well."
District 5 encompasses St. Petersburg's lowest-lying neighborhood, Shore Acres, and recent storms have repeatedly flooded homes and displaced residents. However, he said those casting ballots at area polling locations seemed "genuinely enthused to be there and do their part."
"Leigh, my wife, and I have always taught our girls that you vote and serve jury duty," Harting said. "No exceptions."
He will replace term-limited Councilmember Ed Montanari on the dais, who fell to Rep. Lindsay Cross in the state's District 60 race. Harting expects a "huge learning curve" over his first 30 days in office as he gets to know his colleagues in City Hall.
"I have some topics I've campaigned on and really want to address," he added. "Now I have to figure out the inner workings and how to best approach that."
