St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch officially filed for reelection today, despite recent financial drawbacks caused by his former Political Action Committee (PAC) treasurer, Yolanda Brown – also known as Yolanda Cheers and Yolanda Rumph – who allegedly fleeced $207K from Welch’s campaign finances.
While Welch clearly expressed his intention to run, he delayed official filing. In response to questions from Poliverse about the delay, Welch’s new PAC Chair, Adrienne Bogen, said, “the timing of the filing was about doing it the right way, not rushing a political moment. His priority has been governing … Filing is a procedural step; leadership is an everyday responsibility …”
Indeed, St. Pete’s docket has been larded lately – Gas Plant redevelopment, the Rays stadium deal, Florida Department of Efficiency audits, hurricane damage and resiliency, street art removal, housing market corrections and more.
Welch’s filing brings the official candidate pool to two, alongside Maria Scruggs, whose campaign finances (a hair over $15K) now modestly trails Welch’s (roughly $30K) after his former treasurer made unauthorized transactions to businesses under her name.
Bogen claimed to Poliverse that despite the financial loss “the funds were not part of the campaign.” Instead, Bogen shifted the conversation: “What matters now is transparency, accountability and moving forward.” Adding that Welch’s grassroots campaign trumps financial advantage and is fueled by “supporters who believe his record and vision.”
While the contest – as of now – only has two official candidates, more rivals are expected.
St. Pete District 2 City Councilmember Brandi Gabbard reassured Poliverse last week that she will be running, but she’s postponing officially filing until the spring.
Charlie Crist – Florida’s 44th Governor and a former congressman – is also expected to file with substantial financial backing of over $725K. Though a significant portion of Crist’s finances were recycled from his previous campaign PAC, the remaining funding he accrued still signals strong support – and was amassed in a scant seven weeks.
According to Bogen, Welch isn’t worried about the competition.
“[Welch] is not running on nostalgia or leftover campaign infrastructure; he’s running on performance,” said Bogen. “St. Petersburg needs a full time mayor focused on this city’s future and that’s exactly what Ken Welch is doing everyday.”
Welch, who made history as St. Pete’s first African American mayor in 2022, was joined by community leaders and endorsers, which included police and fire department officials, following his official filing at a press conference in front of City Hall this morning. “St. Petersburg is stronger today because we’ve worked together to put people first,” Welch said in a prepared statement.
“I’m running for reelection to keep investing in our neighborhoods, expanding opportunity, and making sure our city’s future works for everyone. No matter who you are or where you live.”