St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch says he’ll run for reelection in 2026

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch on Friday confirmed that he will run for reelection in 2026.

Welch, 59, told the Tampa Bay Times that he “definitely” plans to seek another term, but that isn’t his current focus. He said his administration is locked in on finalizing documents with the Tampa Bay Rays and their development partner Hines for a new stadium and surrounding redevelopment and getting enough votes to make it happen.

The City Council and Pinellas County Commission must sign off on the deal, which would cover the 86 acres occupied by Tropicana Field and its surrounding parking lots. Votes have not been scheduled yet.

“It’s not at the top of my list right now, but I do intend to run,” he said.

Voters in 2022 approved a city charter amendment that changed St. Petersburg’s elections to even-numbered years to be in line with state and federal elections. That gave Welch and all City Council members an extra year in office. Welch is limited to two consecutive terms in office.

He makes an annual salary of $240,511.

Welch’s father, David Welch, was a well-known educator who became the first Black man elected to the City Council. Welch was born and raised in St. Petersburg and became an accountant. He spent 20 years on the Pinellas County Commission before running for mayor in 2021.

Welch, a Democrat, won that election against former City Council member Robert Blackmon with 60% of the vote. He became St. Petersburg’s first Black mayor and vowed to make “intentional equity” a cornerstone of his administration. Six months into office, he restarted the process to redevelop Tropicana Field, renaming the project the Historic Gas Plant District after the predominantly Black community once located there.

Welch said he is aware that he and his successors will have to be accountable to the promises made as part of the stadium deal.

“New regimes can change things,” he said.