St. Petersburg voters keep Figgs-Sanders, send Givens Jr. to City Council

St. Petersburg City Council chairperson Deborah Figgs-Sanders appeared headed to a new term and repeat office-seeker Corey Givens Jr. held a narrow lead over former council member Wengay Newton, with most precincts reporting late Tuesday.

The District 3 contest to represent Shore Acres, Snell Isle, Edgemoor and Northeast Park was too close to call, with candidate Mike Harting holding a narrow lead over fellow restaurateur Pete Boland.

Figgs-Sanders held onto a commanding late Tuesday over newcomer Torrie Jasuwan and keep her District 5 seat. In the district representing Lakewood Estates, Figgs-Sanders had 64% of votes and Jasuwan finished with 35% with all but five precincts counted.

With three council races on the ballot, voters on Tuesday night reelected Figgs-Sanders, one of Mayor Ken Welch's key allies. Voters also rejected two of Welch's former opponents from the 2021 mayoral race: Pete Boland in District 3 and Wengay Newton in District 7.

The other two races were for open seats up for grabs. District 3 council member Ed Montanari could not run again due to term limits, and District 7 council member John Muhammad opted not to enter the race.

In a race between two conservative bar and restaurant owners, Harting held a fundraising command over Boland, 40. Harting, 55, raised more than $126,000 as of Oct. 25, which is double what Boland raised, and had the backing of sitting council members Lisset Hanewicz and Gina Driscoll. Harting held a less than 1% lead late Tuesday.

Givens, 32, denied Newton a chance of getting his old job back. Newton, 61, represented the District 7 on the City Council from 2007 to 2015. Newton, who raised four times more in campaign contributions than Givens, came away with 48% of the votes, with most precincts reporting. District 7 includes Jordan Park, Childs Park, Bayview and Broadwater.

Jasuwan, 40, was the sole challenger seeking to replace Figgs-Sanders, 59. Because there were only two candidates in the running, that race avoided a district-specific primary and headed straight to the general election when all city voters could cast a ballot. Jasuwan finished with 36%, with most of the votes counted. District 5 includes Lakewood Estates, Greater Pinellas Point and the area around Eckerd College.

One member is elected from each of the city's eight districts to serve a four-year term on the council, which serves as the city's legislative branch. The term begins in January, and council members are limited to two consecutive terms. These races are nonpartisan. The job pays an annual salary of $67,275.