Kelly Hayes
St. Petersburg City Council candidate Tom Mullins has raised $61,140 since launching his bid to succeed Darden Rice in late May. That number includes $50,100 in self-funding from the candidate himself.
Mullins, the fifth candidate to enter the race for the District 4 seat, has been an executive with Raymond James since the late 1980s, leading the firm’s investment banking practice for the transport and infrastructure industries, where he has developed particular expertise in the environmental service and transport sectors.
Mullins’ had about two dozen donors to his campaign in May, including several $1,000 donations from individuals such as PureCycle CFO Michael Dee.
Mullins spent $665 in May, on campaign software and credit card processing fees, leaving him with $60,435.
“When taking on the complex issues facing our community like affordable housing, and development of the Tropicana site, we need to put our faith in leaders who have a proven track record of understanding and solving the problems before them,” Mullins said in a statement. “I built my career doing just that, and now I’m ready to go to work for the people of St. Petersburg.”
Mullins joins an already crowded field including Lisset Hanewicz, a former prosecutor for the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney’s Office; Clifford Hobbs III; Douglas O’Dowd; and Jarib Figueredo.
Before joining the race, Hanewicz was the top fundraiser, having raised a total of $47,389 since launching her campaign and entering June with $32,372 cash on hand. Hanewicz’s official May numbers may not be disclosed until Thursday’s deadline.
But, with his ties to Raymond James, Mullins is likely to have access to key donors and deep pockets.
Two candidates, Lauren Hubbard and Wendy Wesley, have withdrawn from the District 4 race.
Rice is leaving office because of term limits and running for Mayor in a race where she’s considered a frontrunner. She has yet to endorse in the race.
Mullins was born and raised in suburban Chicago. He graduated from Vanderbilt University and holds an MBA from Dartmouth College.
