‘Go back to Africa’ candidate Paul Congemi first to file for 2021 St. Pete mayoral race

congemi-paul
It's the fourth time Congemi has run.

Talk of the 2021 St. Petersburg mayoral election has so far centered on City Council member Darden Rice and Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch.

Yet the first to file for the race is neither or them.

Paul Congemi, the perennial non-starter of a candidate,  has again filed to run for the city’s top job.

Congemi’s claim to fame is viral rant from his losing 2017 bid in which he told fellow candidate Jesse Nevel, a white candidate who ran on the issue of reparations for the African American community, to “go back to Africa.”)

During a debate, Congemi responded to Nevel’s claims that reparations would mend problems within the African American community with the loaded statement and claimed that “your reparations came in the form of a man named Barack Obama.”

The comments made national news and the video of him saying it went viral.

Congemi received less than one half of 1% of the overall vote in the primary election. Just 188 voters cast a ballot for him.

He performed equally as poorly in the two preceding mayoral elections in 2013 and 2009.

The “go back to Africa” rant wasn’t the first time Congemi found himself the subject of less than flattering headlines.

In 2009 he was banned from a St. Pete KFC after he got into a shouting match with employees because his food was taking too long. He told police after that altercation not to touch him because he was “running for Mayor” and that once he got elected he would fire them. Congemi later claimed that would not be an abuse of power, but “justice.”

In 2017 Congemi was charged with elder abuse after his then 87-year old mother was admitted to intensive care for bed sores so severe doctor could see her bones. Congemi claimed his mother only went a day and a half without home health care. The charges against him were ultimately dropped.

Congemi used to be a Democrat, but said he left the party after former President Obama came out in favor of same sex marriage and went on to change his party affiliation to the Republican Party. He supported President Donald Trump in 2016.

Don’t expect much from Congemi during the 2021 election cycle. While he frequently participated in campaign forums for which he was invited, Congemi did little else to further his 2017 campaign.

Congemi didn’t raise a single dime throughout his 2017 campaign.

Janelle Irwin Taylor

Janelle Irwin Taylor has been a professional journalist covering local news and politics in Tampa Bay since 2003. Most recently, Janelle reported for the Tampa Bay Business Journal. She formerly served as senior reporter for WMNF News. Janelle has a lust for politics and policy. When she’s not bringing you the day’s news, you might find Janelle enjoying nature with her husband, children and two dogs. You can reach Janelle at [email protected].


5 comments

  • Seber Newsome III

    December 7, 2019 at 10:21 am

    I agree, there should be no reparations for anyone. If blacks get reparations, then native Americans and others should get them too. It would open a can or worms, and I dont think the taxpayers want to be paying and paying over and over again for something that happened hundred of years ago, do you?

  • Jim Donelon

    December 7, 2019 at 2:46 pm

    Paul should be committed to a mental institution. The fact that 188 people voted for him is amazing. Just another mentally disturbed Trump supporter.

    • Michelle

      December 9, 2019 at 4:04 pm

      This man used to come into Macaroni Grill about 10-12 years ago and hit on all the underage girls and try to get them to come home with him. He is a total creep and was always on lots of anti psychotic drugs.

  • gary

    December 8, 2019 at 3:06 am

    Only TRUMP! MAGA2020! Me, and my family will only vote pro TRUMP!

  • Clarence

    December 8, 2019 at 10:14 pm

    I think whites should be forced to pay reparations to Blacks and American Indians. To that end, a special tax should be levied on them. That goes triple for white millionaires. What they did to those people was disgusting and they should be ashamed of themselves. I don’t know how they are able to sleep at night with that kind of conscience.

Comments are closed.


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