2013 St. Petersburg, Florida, mayoral election

St. Petersburg, Florida, held an election for mayor on August 27 and November 5, 2013. A non-partisan primary election was held on August 27, 2013. No candidate won a majority of the vote, so the top two finishers, incumbent Mayor Bill Foster and former State Representative Rick Kriseman, advanced to a runoff.

2013 St. Petersburg, Florida, mayoral election

← 2009 August 27, 2013 (first round) November 5, 2013 (runoff) 2017 →

Candidate Rick Kriseman Bill Foster Kathleen Ford Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan Nonpartisan First-round vote 19,470 20,336 9,648 First-round percentage 38.9% 40.63% 19.27% Second-round vote 29,687 23,412 Second-round percentage 55.91% 44.09%

Mayor before election Bill Foster Republican Elected Mayor Rick Kriseman Democratic

After a campaign described as "nasty",^[1] "partisan",^[2] "contentious" and "the costliest in [St. Petersburg] history",^[3] Foster lost to Kriseman by 56% to 44%, becoming the first incumbent mayor of St. Petersburg to lose a race for re-election in more than 26 years.

Adam C. Smith of the Tampa Bay Times wrote that although 70% of voters approved of where the city was heading and Foster was "a good man who presided over no corruption scandal, no violent racial unrest", he only proved to be "adequate" at the job. He also "underestimat[ed] voters' intelligence, talking about a secret plan to keep the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg", had an "ever-shifting" position on the St. Petersburg Pier and alienated African-American voters in Midtown. Kriseman, Smith wrote, capitalized on this to win "considerable" African-American support and ran as a "safe, credible alternative for those unimpressed with the incumbent", promising to govern like popular former Mayor Rick Baker.^[4]

Primary election

Candidates

• Anthony Cates III
• Paul Congemi, candidate for mayor in 2009
• Kathleen Ford, former city council member (Democrat)
• Bill Foster, incumbent mayor (Republican)
• Rick Kriseman, former state representative (Democrat)

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Bill Foster (R)	Rick Kriseman (D)	Undecided
St. Pete Polls[5]	February 18, 2013	690	± 3.4%	38%	34%	28%

Results

St. Petersburg Mayoral primary election, 2013^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	nonpartisan candidate	Bill Foster	20,336	40.63
	nonpartisan candidate	Rick Kriseman	19,470	38.9
	nonpartisan candidate	Kathleen Ford	9,648	19.27
	nonpartisan candidate	Anthony Cates III	376	0.75
	nonpartisan candidate	Paul Congemi	225	0.45
Total votes			50,055	100.00

Endorsements

Bill Foster

Elected Officials

• Rick Scott, Governor of Florida^[7]

Organizations

• Pinellas Realtor Organization^[8]
• Tampa Tribune^[9]

Rick Kriseman

Elected Officials

• Charlie Crist, former Republican Governor of Florida and Independent Candidate for Senate in 2010^[10]
• Leslie Curran, St. Petersburg city council member^[11]
• Paula Dockery, former Republican state senator^[12]
• Dwight Dudley, state representative^[13]
• Pat Gerard, Mayor of Largo^[12]
• Charlie Gerdes, St. Petersburg city council member^[13]
• Charlie Justice, Pinellas County Commissioner^[13]
• Steve Kornell, St. Petersburg city council member^[11]
• Susan Latvala, Pinellas County Commissioner^[12]
• Janet C. Long, Pinellas County Commissioner^[13]
• Bill Nelson, US Senator^[14]
• Karl Nurse, St. Petersburg city council member^[11]
• Darryl Rouson, state representative^[13]
• Alex Sink, former Chief Financial Officer and nominee for Governor in 2010^[12]

Organizations

• Tampa Bay Times^[15]

Runoff election

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Bill Foster (R)	Rick Kriseman (D)	Undecided
St. Pete Polls[16]	October 24, 2013	1,397	± 2.6%	42.6%	48.3%	9%
Braun Research[17]	October 17–21, 2013	809	± 3.4%	34%	40%	19%
Braun Research[18]	September 14–16, 2013	410	± 4.8%	39%	40%	16%

Results

St. Petersburg Mayoral runoff election, 2013^[19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	nonpartisan candidate	Rick Kriseman	29,687	55.91
	nonpartisan candidate	Bill Foster	23,412	44.09
Majority			6,275	11.82%
Turnout			53,099
	Democratic gain from Republican		Swing

References

1. "St. Pete mayoral candidates Foster and Kriseman defend nasty campaign mailers". WMNF. October 25, 2013. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
2. "St. Pete mayoral race turns nasty, partisan as vote nears". The Tampa Tribune. November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
3. "Rick Kriseman tops Bill Foster in St. Petersburg mayor's race". The Tampa Bay Times. November 5, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
4. "Good-enough mayor not good enough for St. Petersburg voters anymore". The Tampa Bay Times. November 5, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
5. St. Pete Polls
6. "Pinellas - Election Results". enr.votepinellas.com. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
7. "Gov. Rick Scott Endorses St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster". Tampa Bay Times. September 30, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
8. "Pinellas Realtor Organization endorses St. Petersburg candidates". Tampa Bay Times. June 22, 2013. Archived from the original on October 26, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
9. "Foster for mayor of St. Petersburg". Tampa Tribune. October 13, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
10. "Former Gov. Charlie Crist endorses Rick Kriseman in St. Petersburg mayor's race". Tampa Bay Times. October 7, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
11. "St. Pete City Council chairman backs mayor's opponent". Tampa Tribune. August 26, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
12. "Susan Latvala and Paula Dockery endorse Rick Kriseman for mayor". Creative Loafing. March 20, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
13. "Five Democrats endorse Rick Kriseman in nonpartisan St. Petersburg mayoral race". Creative Loafing. February 27, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
14. "Bill Nelson endorses Rick Kriseman in St. Pete mayor's race". Tampa Tribune. August 22, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
15. "Times recommends: Kriseman for mayor". Tampa Bay Times. October 18, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
16. St. Pete Polls
17. Braun Research
18. Braun Research
19. "Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections–Municipal elections November 5, 2013". enr.votepinellas.com. Retrieved June 4, 2016.