Kelly Hayes
A trio of St. Petersburg City Council candidates secured endorsements from EMILY’s List, the country’s largest resource for women in politics.
The endorsements include incumbents Brandi Gabbard (District 2) and Gina Driscoll (District 6), as well as District 4 candidate Lisset Hanewicz.
The organization credited its support for Gabbard and Driscoll to their records on City Council, promoting platforms of affordable housing, progressive climate change policies, and empowering local businesses.
“EMILY’s List is thrilled to endorse these candidates and support their efforts to protect the female supermajority on the St. Pete City Council,” Emily Cain, the executive director of EMILY’s List, said in a statement. “With Brandi and Gina on the City Council, St. Pete has made tremendous strides toward increasing access to affordable housing, battling climate change with progressive legislation and helping small businesses prosper.”
As for Hanewicz, EMILY’s List credited her experience as a former prosecutor, as well as her chance to bring diversity to the council.
“If elected, Lisset will make history as the first Hispanic official to serve on the City Council and will be able to hit the ground running on day one, using her experience as a former state and federal prosecutor to advocate for the people of St. Pete,” Cain said in a statement. “We are confident that all three of these women will serve as champions for women, children, and families in St. Petersburg.”
EMILY’s List has raised over $700 million to elect Democratic women who advocate for abortion rights and is made up of more than 5 million members.
This isn’t the only women advocacy group that has endorsed Hanewicz and Driscoll. The pair also earned endorsements from Ruth’s List Florida, which is also fighting to maintain the female supermajority on the City Council.
Gabbard and Driscoll will both advance to the General Election ballot, as they each only face one opponent. Gabbard faces candidate Kyle Hall, and Driscoll faces Mhariel Summers.
Hanewicz, on the other hand, will appear on the Primary Election ballot alongside four other candidates — Jarib Figueredo, Clifford Hobbs, Tom Mullins and Douglas O’Dowd.
