A third candidate has entered the race for the city’s District 6 City Council seat, currently held by Gina Driscoll, who is terming out next year. Jameka Williams officially filed Dec. 11, bringing the total number of candidates to three, alongside Terri Balliet and Linsey Grove.
Williams has spent the last five years working as a communications specialist for Faith in Florida, a self-described multicultural, non-partisan community organization focused on racial and economic issues.
When asked why she is seeking local office, Williams pointed directly to development pressures in the city. “I see what I believe to be overdevelopment in St. Pete,” she told Poliverse. “I want to make sure developers are good partners to the city. I’m not against development, but not at the expense of the people that keep the city turning.”
Keeping development in check, she added, will “absolutely” be a core value of her platform.
All three District 6 candidates are first-time office seekers. At this point in the race, however, Balliet is widely viewed as the early frontrunner, leading in campaign fundraising, public events and endorsements, including backing from former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman.
Williams said what distinguishes her candidacy is her deep involvement in the city’s cultural and civic life. “I worked at USF; I worked in the arts community volunteering for the SHINE Festival and local galleries; I’m part of the Historic Uptown Neighborhood Association,” she said. “These give me great insight into the needs of the people. I’m ready to tackle those needs head-on.”
She faces stiff competition on that front. Grove previously served as an adjunct instructor at USF and is the CEO of Hypatia Collaborative, a consulting firm working with nonprofits and community stakeholders. Balliet, meanwhile, founded the CALL program, a community response initiative that dispatches social workers to non-violent police calls, and serves as CEO of Children’s Network, which oversees child welfare services.
Williams is also active in the arts community. This year, she volunteered with the Arts Alliance’s Hats Off to the Arts reception, where Driscoll was added to the event’s distinguished list of past honorees.
While Williams said she worked alongside Driscoll during that event and often reaches out to her regarding Historic Uptown community needs, she noted that “for anything regarding running [for office], I’ve not been able to reach her.”
Williams plans to host her campaign kickoff at a friend’s home Jan. 10 at 6 p.m. She said her campaign website will be live before then.