For months, former Governor and Congressman Charlie Crist (D–St. Petersburg) has been rumored to be planning an audacious political comeback: Challenging embattled incumbent St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch, his one-time ally. Crist appeared to plant a flag in that quest Wednesday with the announcement by his political action committee, St. Pete Shines, of a nearly $750,000 haul since its formation in November.
“I am overwhelmed and humbled at the same time,” Crist told Poliverse. “I am very grateful.”
Final reports are due to the state by Jan. 12; however, this amount would likely represent the largest single-quarter fundraising haul in St. Petersburg political history. For Crist, who has neither filed for office nor confirmed his intention to run, it constitutes the first concrete statement of his intent to challenge Welch.
Crist’s fall 2025 fundraising haul is expected to significantly exceed Welch’s full year number of approximately $400,000 via his PAC, the Pelican Political Action Committee. Welch’s PAC took in $235,000 for the first three quarters of 2025, after rumors began to swirl of Democratic Party challengers conducting issue polling.
According to information distributed by Michelle Todd Schorsch, the chair of St. Pete Shines, the single-quarter number outstrips the total amount raised by Welch in the entirety of his 2021 election campaign. It equates to $14,000 per day since the committee was launched.
“We are excited and humbled by the enormous support from a diverse network of St. Pete stakeholders representing the business community, political interests from both sides of the aisle, and constituents from all walks of life,” she said. “The record support for St. Petersburg’s continued momentum is humbling, and shows that the Sunshine City is the world’s next premier destination, where experienced leadership is needed to ensure our renaissance is sustainable, not fleeting.”
According to the release, the committee’s donor list includes a number of prominent figures from business, politics and even sports. From the business world donors include Neptune Flood CEO Trevor Burgess; developer (and Mahaffey Theater operator) Bill Edwards; and local attorneys including Stephen Diaco, Augie Ribiero, and Matt Weidner.
Donations were reported from across the political divide. They include Democratic State Sen. Dave Aronberg; Ron Book, lobbyist and father of former Democratic State Senate minority leader Lauren Book; and Bob Poe, former Florida Democratic Party chairman.
Their number also includes former State Rep. Ben Diamond, who represented St. Petersburg in the state House and was rumored to be considering a challenge for mayor himself until last year.
Republican donors include lobbyist Brian Ballard of Ballard Partners and former US Senator George LeMieux, who previously broke with Crist when he joined the Democratic Party. Independent former US Senator Joe Manchin was also listed as a donor.
Crist’s donors also included Tampa Bay Bucs greats Jimmie Giles and Derrick Brooks, who was recently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Brooks and Giles both previously donated to Crist’s 2022 gubernatorial campaign.
“The diversity of the donors to the committee demonstrates support for a candidate who can unify St. Petersburg’s unique community, while ensuring the needs of all constituents and stakeholders are met and balanced,” Todd Schorsch added.
Crist noted that he was currently prioritizing listening to residents about their needs, but was focused on “Competent services. The economy. Affordability. The environment. And ethics.”