St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch will run for re-election in 2026, he confirmed to Poliverse this week, and he disavowed consideration of any other state or federal office.

“I will be filing to run for mayor. Don’t doubt that,” he said. 

“I’ve got a pretty demanding full-time job. As you know, I just gave a $1.1 billion recommended budget to Council a couple weeks ago. We’re trying to repair Tropicana Field. We’re also still in recovery 10 months after Milton. Our plate is full as a city.”

Pressed, Welch confirmed he is not considering a run for higher state or federal office in 2026, despite rumors that he may seek a statewide or federal run. These rumors have been fueled by the fact that Welch has begun fundraising but has not yet formally filed for re-election; however, Welch confirmed that that filing would happen shortly.

“Our days are full here, and our weekends as well. So that’s what we’re focusing on,” he said. 

Welch has already drawn potential challengers amongst both Democrats and Republicans, including from former allies; former Democratic State Rep. Ben Diamond and Councilmember Brandi Gabbard, both former supporters, have been floated as candidates, as has former Republican State Senator Jeff Brandes. Former NAACP head Maria Scruggs has already filed to challenge Welch.

Welch forcefully defended his record as mayor from the attacks that will likely frame a competitive 2026 race. Recent polling questions reviewed by the St. Pete Catalyst and Poliverse, whose results have not yet been released, took aim at Welch for his receipt of donations from conservative figures, which was an issue adjudicated in his 2021 election, as well as responses to the hurricanes in 2024 and the failure of the deal to keep the Rays in St. Petersburg. 

Welch rejected these premises, describing them as “gaslighting push poll questions.” 

“It’s just ridiculous,” said Welch, highlighting that Council had just moments before it voted 7-1 to continue the City’s effort to repair the stadium. “I led the push to start the repair – and at that point the Rays did not support that … but that brings the Rays back to St. Pete for at least three years. That was strategic.

“I don’t know how you manage a very difficult situation better than that.”

Welch continued that he felt the success or failure of the Gas Plant deal with the Rays wouldn’t define the City’s future. “We’re not dependent on the Rays staying here. I think that’s a big difference,” he said. “We know that growth will continue to happen here in St. Pete.”

Welch also forcefully rebutted criticisms of the City’s overall hurricane response. One poll suggested he was “negligent in cleaning up the waste and debris after both Hurricanes Helene and Milton, leaving toxic and dangerous ‘Welch piles’ all over the City,” using a nickname for the debris piles left outside many flooded houses following Helene.

“I told the gentleman who came up with that term – and it was from one neighborhood who claimed they were the experts in debris management and we ought to let them run it – that he better use that term because it had a 90 day expiration.

“We moved more debris than the last three hurricanes – times five,” he continued. “For Milton and Helene we moved more than two million cubic yards and we did it in 90 days, which was our promise from the start.

“So we moved more than we ever have before. We did it quicker than we ever had before, and we’ll stand on that.

“Our performance stands up to any city’s performance in the state,” he declared.

Welch emphasized that he anticipated pushback as he led the City through unprecedented and generational crises, but that he did not take his critics to heart.

“Part of this is I’ve had to say ‘no’ to some folks. And there’s some other folks that I’ve had to say ‘no’ to because that’s not in the best interests of our City. Eventually, I said ‘no’ to the Rays when they asked for more money. And some folks aren’t used to hearing ‘no.’

“I don’t give that more energy or weight than it deserves.”