Melissa Rutland, a fourth-generation St. Petersburg businesswoman and longtime commercial real estate professional, has entered the race for Florida House District 60, positioning affordability and economic growth at the center of her campaign.
Rutland announced her candidacy Tuesday, becoming the latest Republican to seek the Pinellas County seat currently represented by Democrat Lindsay Cross.
The district she’s running for covers portions of St. Petersburg and Pinellas Park. According to Rutland’s campaign, Democratic voter registration advantages have narrowed significantly in recent years, leaving the district nearly evenly divided.
Rutland said her decision to run stems from concerns about rising costs facing local families and businesses. “I’m running to do what I do best — find creative solutions to difficult issues,” Rutland told Poliverse. “The families and small businesses who built St. Pete are getting priced out of the city my family has called home for four generations.”
She said voters are increasingly looking beyond party labels.
“People here aren’t looking for partisan politicians,” Rutland said. “They want a proven problem-solver who will actually bring their costs down and find solutions to better their community.”
Affordability has become a recurring theme in early campaigning for the seat. Rutland called it “the issue” facing residents and said she would focus on lowering costs tied to housing, insurance and taxes.
“Affordability is THE issue in this race,” she said. “It starts with keeping taxes low, holding insurance companies accountable to lower rates and helping make homes more affordable.”
Rutland’s professional background differs from many recent candidates who have sought the seat. She has spent nearly three decades in commercial real estate, including time in the real estate department at Raymond James before founding Rutland Florida Gulf Group in 2015.
“Nearly 30 years in commercial real estate have taught me how to build consensus to solve problems,” Rutland said. “We need to promote economic prosperity that protects our neighborhoods.”
Former Mayor Rick Kriseman appointed her to the St. Petersburg Development Review Commission, where she later became its first female chair. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed her to the Pinellas County Juvenile Welfare Board in 2023.
Beyond government service, Rutland has served on numerous nonprofit and civic boards, including the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg, the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership and Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital Foundation.
Her campaign is expected to focus heavily on issues affecting household budgets, including property insurance, taxes and economic development, according to a prepared statement.
Rutland believes the district’s changing political makeup creates an opportunity for a Republican candidate focused on local issues.
“This isn’t the district it was even two years ago,” she said. “The partisan gap has all but vanished. Voters here are tired of partisanship — they want someone local, competent and laser-focused on their costs. That’s exactly who I am.”