Ed Montanari qualified for ballot in St. Petersburg re-election effort

St. Petersburg City Council member Ed Montanari officially qualified to run for re-election.

“I’m truly grateful for our team of supporters who have helped our campaign qualify for the ballot,” Montanari said in a statement.

“Though this is a major milestone for our campaign, there’s still work to be done to get our message out to District 3 voters. We are building a strong campaign to win in November and continue working on the important issues facing our great city.”

Montari remains the only candidate running for City Council in District 3 this year.

The qualifying period for the fall elections started Thursday and runs through 5 p.m. on June 21.

Montanari first won election to the City Council in 2015 without opposition. As he seeks re-election, he boasts bipartisan support from Democratic and Republican community leaders.

He now serves as Vice Chair of the eight-member City Council. He also chairs the Budget, Finance, and Taxation Committee and the Legislative Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations Committee.

The Northeast High graduate and Air Force vet has lived in St. Petersburg since 1976; he pilots Boeing 777s for American Airlines in his day job.

Montanari is a member of the Lutheran Church of the Cross, is engaged to Kathy Parker, and has two children and one grandchild.

While technically a nonpartisan board, Montanari lays claim as the only Republican serving on the City Council right now.

Still, fellow Council members Brandi Gabbard and Amy Foster have both endorsed his re-election campaign.

St. Petersburg’s primary election is Aug. 27 with the general on Nov. 5. If no other candidate qualifies, Montanari could again win the District 3 race unopposed.

Of the four seats up for election in St. Petersburg this year, Montanari’s is the only one to draw just a single candidate so far.