Linsey Grove and Trevor Mallory will face each other in November for St. Petersburg City Council District 6 after finishing first and second, respectively, in Tuesday’s five-candidate primary.

Grove received about 28% of the vote, followed by Mallory with about 23%. Terri Balliet, Doug Homeyer and Jameka Williams did not advance.

The winner of the Nov. 3 general election will replace term-limited Councilmember Gina Driscoll. District 6 includes downtown and portions of south St. Petersburg.

Grove said direct contact with voters played a significant role in her campaign.

“I started this campaign 13 months ago and did intensive door knocking,” Grove told PoliVerse. “Voters want people on their doorstep, a more humanizing experience.”

Grove said those conversations also helped shape her campaign.

“We heard from voters what they wanted rather than what my platform was,” she said.

Her first-place finish still leaves a large group of voters up for grabs in November. About 72% of primary voters supported one of the other four candidates.

Grove said affordability and infrastructure were common themes across the primary field, even if the candidates differed on how to address them.

“We all had similar messaging about making St. Pete more affordable, making infrastructure better … but we differed in how we would approach it,” Grove said. “For the people who didn’t vote for me, that inspires me to continue to listen.”

Mallory, who entered the primary with one of the stronger fundraising operations in the field, finished roughly five percentage points behind Grove.

“Can’t take anything for granted,” Mallory told PoliVerse. “What we need to do to close the gap is to talk to more voters, especially my background in implementation of affordable housing.”

Mallory said his campaign’s objective in the primary was to secure one of the two spots in the general election.

“The overall goal was always to be in the top two,” he said.

He also pointed to differences between the two campaigns.

“My opponent, Grove, had a lot of people and national endorsements that campaigned on her behalf,” Mallory said. “That’s not a bad strategy. I’m more of a personal grassroots kind of guy. At the end of the day, I think that will translate to a better councilman that St. Pete is looking for.”

Grove cited her experience as a business owner, in government and as a community advocate as qualifications she believes distinguish her in the two-person race.

“What that says about this race is that voters are craving someone with a diverse background and diverse professional experience, someone who can be a bridge builder,” Grove said. “I think it speaks to the fact that District 6 is extremely diverse and its communities create a vibrant cross section for this community.”

Asked where a Grove vote would produce a different outcome from a Mallory vote on City Council, Grove again pointed to her professional background.

“Having been a business owner, working in government, and been a community advocate, those experiences uniquely position me to be a great council member, because all those positions are akin to stakeholders that have to come together to address affordability and infrastructure,” Grove said.

Mallory is making his experience in affordable housing a central part of his case for November. He has worked with Neighborhood Home Solutions and served on city affordable housing committees.

Asked what housing policy he would prioritize during his first year, Mallory pointed to households earning below 80% of area median income.

“True affordable housing that touches below 80% AMI, which are our hospitality in this city,” Mallory said. “We need nurses. We need firefighters. We have to implement processes that touches the AMI below 80%.”

Mallory said his work at Neighborhood Home Solutions has focused on using homeownership to build generational wealth.

“That’s a push for ‘true’ affordable housing,” he said.

Both candidates now need support from voters who backed their former opponents. Grove begins the general election with the most votes from the primary, while Mallory must make up roughly a five-point deficit.

“I need to focus on the people who want to see St. Petersburg move toward a direction of affordability: putting ability into affordability,” Mallory said.

“I think the votes I lost by are easily retractable.”

Grove said she plans to continue the approach she used during the primary, including direct conversations with residents who did not support her Tuesday.

The two will face each other Nov. 3 for the District 6 seat.