Kelly Hayes
St. Petersburg City Council member Amy Foster is endorsing District 8 candidate Richie Floyd to take her place on the dais as she faces term limits.
Foster is vacating the seat Floyd is running for after having served on the Council since her initial election in 2013.
“I have had the pleasure of getting to know Richie the last few years through his community involvement, and I am pleased to share my support for his candidacy,” Foster said in a news release. “I’ve seen how hard Richie has worked campaigning, and I know he will work hard for the citizens of St. Petersburg. During these trying times, we need someone on council who understands the challenges families and workers face and I know Richie will be a fierce advocate on those issues.”
Floyd, a Pinellas County teacher, is growing his list of endorsements, after announcing support from the West Central Florida AFL-CIO Labor Council earlier this week.
“Councilmember Foster has done an excellent job representing the residents of District 8, and I couldn’t be more proud to have her as an ally and supporter of our campaign,” Floyd said in a news release. “I look forward to continuing the work she has done on Council, helping the District’s families, tenants, and residents as a whole.”
The local candidate made international headlines this week after a Twitter user noted his resemblance to Brazilian Big Brother star Gil do Vigor. That note spurred a wave of social media reactions from individuals across Brazil, garnering thousands of likes and hundreds of retweets, as well as gaining the attention of several Brazilian media outlets.
Floyd has so far shown a promising campaign financially, currently leading the fundraising race against his opponent, optometrist Dane Kuplicki. In addition to having the highest fundraising month in April, Floyd had 428 donors — more than twice the amount of any other campaign in the city so far.
A third candidate, Jamie Mayo, filed to run on April 30.
District 8 borders the west side of I-275, north of south St. Pete including the historic Kenwood neighborhood.
