The old could become new again in St. Petersburg and Tampa with a former governor running for one mayor’s office and a former mayor seeking the other one.
The tale of two Tampa Bay cities starts with Charlie Crist, the former Florida governor who has held or sought numerous other offices and wants to be St. Petersburg’s next mayor.
Across the bridges, former Tampa mayor Bob Buckhorn seeks to replace Jane Castor, who is term limited. Buckhorn was Tampa mayor from 2011 to 2019, and Castor won after he left office.
Their campaigns won’t be settled all at once. The St. Petersburg mayoral election is Aug. 18, with a runoff if necessary in November. The Tampa mayor election isn’t until 2027.
There are plenty of other candidates for both seats but none have the name recognition of Crist and Buckhorn — for better or worse.
What political offices have Charlie Crist held in Florida?
Crist, for example, has the reputation as a bit of an opportunist. He was a Republican governor from 2007-2011, then ran for the Senate but lost as an independent to Marco Rubio — now the U.S. Secretary of State.
Then Crist switched to the Democratic Party, ran against incumbent Gov. Rick Scott in 2014 and lost. After that, Crist was elected to the U.S. House from a district based in Pinellas County in which he defeated then-Republican David Jolly, who is now running for Florida governor as a Democrat.
Crist left his U.S. House seat after three terms to challenge Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022, but that failed as well. His former district is now held by U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican.
It’s a lot to keep straight. And that doesn’t even detail the various state-level positions Crist had before becoming governor. State senator, education commissioner, attorney general.
Crist is taking on incumbent St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, the first Black mayor in the city’s history. There are several other candidates, including city council member Brandi Gabbard.
Crist pitches his candidacy as a homecoming where he grew up, attended high school and still lives.
“Public service is in my heart. I’ve dedicated my adult life to it and I’m proud of that,” Crist said after officially announcing his candidacy.
What is Bob Buckhorn’s history in Tampa?
Buckhorn is not as well known statewide as Crist and certainly doesn’t have quite the colorful past. He’s also a Democrat, a former member of the Tampa City Council and has run for several other offices.
Like Crist, Buckhorn is a longtime Tampa Bay resident. On his campaign website, he stresses various projects he shepherded during his previous term such as the Tampa Riverwalk and its Water Street Tampa project.
“Tampa is my home,” Buckhorn said on his website. “I’ve raised my daughters here, built my life here, and had the privilege of serving this city. My roots run deep, and so does my commitment to Tampa’s future.”
One thing both Crist and Buckhorn would have to deal with, if they are elected, is the future of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays.
The team is currently back at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg after major repairs from damage by Hurricane Milton in 2024. But the Rays’ new owners are pushing for a stadium in Tampa, across the street from where the NFL’s Buccaneers play.
The estimated $2.3 billion cost of the new stadium to open in 2029, which also would involve millions in public dollars, is being debated at both the city and county level.
That decision will likely be made before either Crist or Buckhorn take office. But they will have to manage the consequences and costs.
Curt Anderson is the Policy and Politics Reporter for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY at https://tallahassee.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Charlie Crist (remember him?) running for mayor in major Florida city
Reporting by Curt Anderson, USA Today Network-Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
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