Kevin Batdorf is endorsing Charlie Crist after losing the race for St. Petersburg Mayor.
Batdorf, a local businessman who previously served as President of the Shore Acres Neighborhood Association, earned nearly 2,000 votes in the race, votes that are now in play for Crist. Batdorf’s vote share was more than 3%, an amount that could help push Crist further into the winning column as he faces incumbent Mayor Ken Welch in the Nov. 3 General Election runoff.
Batdorf largely attributed his decision to back Crist to the current administration’s past storm response and what he describes as general mismanagement.
“After recent hurricanes exposed the lack of planning for recovery, the current Mayor had an opportunity to step up. Instead, he said ‘all is well, we did a great job.’ That’s what gaslighting looks like. In fact, the Mayor failed at every turn. Toxic Welch piles sat for months and services were denied! The failing infrastructure became evident,” Batdorf said.
“True leadership accepts responsibility and works hard to improve the way things get done. Charlie Crist has the experience and honesty that St. Pete needs right now! And he has the executive leadership to make that work impactful. I am thankful to everyone who supported my bid for Mayor. Things didn’t go our way, but that’s OK, because with Charlie Crist at the helm, I trust we are all in good hands, in good times and in bad. I am proud to endorse a proven leader, and I hope you will join me!”
Batdorf throughout his campaign was a fierce critic of Welch’s administration. The two shared a testy back-and-forth during the first candidate forum ahead of the Primary, in June. The NAACP debate featured Batdorf accusing Welch of ignoring Shore Acres after Hurricanes Helene and Milton as retribution.
The exchange started with Batdorf saying, “If you piss off the Mayor, you’re gonna feel it.”
“Shore Acres suffered after Helene because I was very critical of the process of what was happening,” Batdorf added. “Services were withheld. Things were done differently than before.”
He later added that “if you criticize certain people in the city government, you’re going to feel it. And we did.”
Welch responded without addressing the specific allegation.
“There were 15,000 damaged properties. No preparation would stop those properties from being damaged. We were agile. We were responsive,” he said.
Crist finished in first in Tuesday’s election, with more than 35% of the vote. Welch trailed by more than 14 percentage points, at less than 21%. Because no candidate received a majority of the vote, Crist and Welch head to a runoff to decide the winner.
Batdorf is the first of the losing candidates to offer an endorsement. Also eliminated Tuesday night were City Council Member Brandi Gabbard, former Fire Chief Jim Large and jail administrator Maria Scruggs.
Large declined to endorse a candidate.
“I have received calls and requests for my endorsement. Throughout this campaign, I asked voters to support me based on my record, my experience, and my vision for St. Petersburg. I am deeply grateful to everyone who placed their trust in me,” he said.
“After careful consideration, I have decided not to endorse either candidate in the runoff. The people who supported me did so for their own reasons, and their votes belong to them, not to me. I respect their ability to examine the candidates, consider the issues, and make their own decision about the future of our city. I remain committed to St. Petersburg and will continue to speak honestly about the issues that matter to our residents.”
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Ed. note: Michelle Todd Schorsch is the Chair of St. Pete Shines, a political committee backing Crist for St. Petersburg Mayor. Todd Schorsch is married to Peter Schorsch, the publisher of Florida Politics.
Written by Florida Politics staff