“When I was governor of Florida, I was known as ‘the people’s governor,'” Charlie Crist said at a recent campaign rally.
Later that day, at a separate event, he told an audience he was running for mayor because “I’m doing this for the people.”
That’s right, former Florida Governor and Congressman Charlie Crist is running for office again. This time it’s the mayor of St. Petersburg.
The race is nonpartisan.
But the mayoral race is not a race between Democrat Crist and a Republican; Crist’s main opponent is another Democrat, incumbent mayor Ken Welch.
Mr. Crist has changed positions on several issues over the years, from abortion to gun control to spending. However, this time, the former governor has taken a more moderate stance than in previous campaigns.
Fixed asset tax
“Over the past five years, St. Petersburg’s property tax revenues have increased by more than 50 percent, and during the same period, inflation has increased by about 22 percent, while the city’s population growth rate has been less than 5 percent,” Crist said.
Crist said he reduced local property taxes while maintaining essential services such as fire and police. Crist criticizes the current Democratic mayor for not reducing property taxes.
government spending
Crist accused current Mayor Welch of growing local government by including an $18.2 million expansion of the general fund operating budget in recent years.
Allowing and Enforcing St. Pete Illegal Immigration Patrols by ICE Officers
Crist’s campaign said it was concerned about some of the optics and past stories of ICE officers patrolling U.S. cities, but in a campaign forum local police chief Anthony Holloway said he “probably did the right thing.”
To win the election, Mr. Crist may need to run a more conservative campaign than his primary opponent, Democratic Mayor Welch.
In St. Pete, registered Republican voters outnumber registered Democrats by about 49,600 to 45,000, according to Roca Elections numbers.
