The Tampa Bay Times has recommended Charlie Crist for St. Petersburg mayor – the third city candidate pick under the newspaper’s newly-minted political recommendations process.
Times Chairman and CEO Conan Gallaty and Viewpoints Editor and columnist Graham Brink both recommended Crist over incumbent Mayor Ken Welch. The pair have also agreed in the city’s two council races, recommending Gabriel Hament in District 2 and Trevor Mallory in District 6.
The recommendations are part of the Times’ revamped process, which previously doled out endorsements under the collective banner of its editorial board. Now, the newspaper appends the names of individual decision-makers to its recommendations.
When the change was announced, Gallaty wrote that the old approach could create confusion about whose views the recommendations represented. Although the newsroom operates independently and does not participate in political recommendations, he said the editorial board label could suggest a broader, institutional unanimity.
“To many readers, an editorial board suggests a broad institutional voice – perhaps even the newsroom itself. In reality, it has always been a small group offering its judgment. Our newsroom operates independently and did not participate in these recommendations, but that distinction was not always clear,” Gallaty wrote.
But while the Times has changed who publicly takes responsibility for its recommendations, the underlying process it describes for evaluating candidates appears largely unchanged.
Under both systems, candidates have been vetted using questionnaires and interviews, along with interviews with people who have worked with them, including previous employers and colleagues. The Times has also said its vetting can include criminal and civil background checks, reviews of voting records and financial disclosures, and consideration of candidates’ public positions and appearances.
The new format also allows Gallaty and Brink to reach different conclusions. That happened during the August St. Petersburg mayoral primary, when Brink recommended Crist while Gallaty backed City Council member Brandi Gabbard.
After Gabbard failed to advance, Gallaty joined Brink in recommending Crist over Welch for the Nov. 3 election.
What remains less clear is how Gallaty and Brink weigh the information they collect. The Times explains what can go into its vetting process, but it does not appear to publish a formal rubric or scoring system showing how factors such as experience, policy positions, management ability or leadership translate into a recommendation.
The written recommendations provide some clues, but nothing definitive. In the mayoral race, Brink emphasized Crist’s executive experience, coalition-building and communication, while criticizing aspects of Welch’s leadership. The council recommendations highlighted Hament’s understanding of city issues and work and life experience, while Mallory’s recommendation pointed to his increased experience and understanding of city government.
With Gallaty and Brink in agreement on all three St. Petersburg general election races, the recommendations offer an early look at the Times’ new approach. But exactly how the two weigh the qualities they examine, and whether they use the same criteria to reach their conclusions, remains less transparent.