Kelly Hayes
Four candidates will be on Tuesday’s ballot for St. Petersburg City Council District 8 in hopes of advancing to the November General Election.
The candidates are running to replace St. Petersburg City Council member Amy Foster, who is leaving office because of term limits.
The race pits old against new — former District 8 Council member Jeff Danner is in the race against optometrist Dane Kuplicki, local teacher and activist Richie Floyd and small business owner Jamie Mayo.
Danner, who entered the race at the end of May, served two terms on City Council, elected in 2005 and 2009. Two terms have passed since he left office, making the former Council member eligible to run again.
But, despite Danner’s familiarity on the Council as a no-party-affiliated moderate, he may be looking at a challenge from Floyd, a self-avowed progressive.
Danner has brought in endorsements from Council Chair Ed Montanari, one of two Republicans who currently sit on the Council, as well as two former Council members Leslie Curran and Charlie Gerdes. Danner also nabbed the coveted Tampa Bay Times recommendation.
Floyd, meanwhile, brought in endorsements from outgoing incumbent Foster and Council member Lisa Wheeler-Bowman, as well as backing from the Sierra Club and a bevy of unions.
Floyd has also come out on top in the fundraising game, with his finance reports characterized by an abundance of small, individual donations. As of the latest finance report, Floyd raised $69,067 since entering the race in November 2020.
Floyd’s early entrance into the race helped him build momentum in funding, while Danner’s late start left him with little time to build a war chest. Danner has raised just $15,560 since he started campaigning.
Kuplicki, a Democrat, has collected $34,876 since he entered the race this spring. Mayo brought in just $2,552 since entering the race.
The three frontrunners have similar campaign goals — tackle affordable housing, improve transportation and promote sustainable growth.
Floyd stands as the most progressive candidate with goals like expanding and improving public housing and increasing investment in community land trusts, as well as strengthening protections in the city’s Tenant Bill of Rights to protect renters from discrimination. Floyd also promotes social justice policies like ensuring protection against discrimination among LGBTQ residents, as well as incentivizing a $15 minimum wage and passing a fair-scheduling ordinance for businesses that would provide advanced scheduling to help workers manage work/life balance.
Danner sits in the middle as an independent, often mistaken for a Democrat. He has been campaigning on providing resources and shelter options for people experiencing homelessness and being more industrious with zoning. He also wants to invest in artist live/work spaces. Danner also hopes to encourage support and participation among local businesses in city matters, as well as promote “good growth” to maintain the city’s character.
Kuplicki is centered between the two, also promoting improvements to the Tenant’s Bill of Rights and suggesting the city strategically upzone areas to manage rent prices. Kuplicki also presents some fresh platforms, such as improving access to quality, healthy food and spearheading a citywide study to find out what areas of the city have the greatest temperature differences, and work to increase shade and tree coverage in them.
Floyd would enter the General Election race with a funding advantage, with $45,940 on hand since the last report before the election. If Danner advances, he would likely have to have a big fundraising push after entering the most recent finance period with just $3,391 in available spending money.
Kuplicki would enter the General Election with $5,657 on hand. Mayo, on the other hand, was left with the smallest available amount, with $234.
One comment
DIANNA DAVIS
August 24, 2021 at 1:34 pm
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