Kelly Hayes
St. Petersburg City Council candidate Richie Floyd has snagged an endorsement from District 7 Council member Lisa Wheeler-Bowman as he races for the District 8 seat.
Wheeler-Bowman has served on the Council since 2016. She served as Council Chair in 2018.
“Richie has been a tireless advocate for the people in the city that need it most, and he will fight for justice for everyone as District 8’s next City Council member,” Wheeler-Bowman said in a statement.
Floyd also received endorsements from the Rev. Andy Oliver of Allendale United Methodist Church, an outspoken progressive known for his community activism on behalf of the LGBTQ and other marginalized communities, the Florida National Organization for Women PAC, the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida, pro-science group 314 Action, and labor union ATU 1464.
“Richie’s here for the people,” Oliver said in a statement. “He’s someone who’s not going to bow down to developers or special interests in our city.”
Floyd previously garnered support from incumbent Amy Foster, who is leaving the District 8 seat because of term limits.
“I’m proud to have the endorsements of these key organizations and leaders in our community.” Floyd said in a statement. “This campaign has built grassroots support from day one, in order to achieve a St. Pete that works for everyday people.”
Floyd, a Pinellas County teacher, is growing his list of endorsements, also gaining support from the West Central Florida AFL-CIO Labor Council.
Floyd has so far shown a promising campaign financially, currently leading the fundraising race against his opponents, optometrist Dane Kuplicki, Jamie Mayo and former District 8 Council member Jeff Danner.
District 8 borders the west side of I-275, north of south St. Pete including the historic Kenwood neighborhood.
