Gina Driscoll backs Mike Harting to ‘continue collaborative work’ on St. Pete City Council

St. Petersburg City Council member Gina Driscoll is endorsing Mike Harting to succeed current City Council member Ed Montanari in District 3.

Montanari is facing term limits and, therefore, not seeking re-election. Harting is one of five candidates vying for the seat, which covers parts of northeast St. Pete, including Historic Old Northeast.

“Mike Harting is exactly the kind of leader we need on City Council,” Driscoll said.

“Mike’s entrepreneurial spirit, passion for his family and concern for those less fortunate demonstrate his thoughtful approach to serving our community. I believe he reflects what is best about our St. Petersburg values, and he is the right person to continue the important collaborative work that Councilmember Montanari has led on the City Council. Mike Harting has my complete and enthusiastic endorsement.”

Harting called the endorsement an honor and called Driscoll “a stalwart advocate for families and residents.”

“I look forward to working with her as we seek to tackle key issues like affordable housing, infrastructure, and public safety,” he said.

Harting is the No. 2 fundraiser in the race, bringing in nearly $67,000 since entering the race. He trails progressive candidate Nick Carey, who has raised nearly $68,000 through a robust grassroots campaign.

But while Carey has the money edge, he may not necessarily be Harting’s biggest threat. Local restaurateur Pete Boland trails in fundraising with less than $45,000 raised, but he’s a moderate conservative who aligns with the district’s voting trends.

Montanari is the only Republican currently serving from the dais. While the job is nonpartisan, meaning candidates’ political affiliations won’t appear on the ballot, Boland is a registered Republican. The district favors the GOP, with 8,941 registered Republican voters to just 7,066 registered Democrats. Another nearly 6,000 voters are registered without party affiliation.

That political dynamic makes it difficult for a progressive candidate, though Carey’s fundraising success to date shows it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility to gain traction, especially as residents continue to face soaring housing costs, an issue on which Carey has been both vocal and active.

The race will likely be competitive. Also running are Juan Lopez, a Democrat running with institutional support of some of the party’s top local leaders, and Barry Rubin, also a Democrat but running on a conservative platform. Lopez has raised nearly $49,000 while Rubin has brought in less than $18,000 for his race.

Harting is a well known business leader in the city, as co-founder of the popular 3 Daughters Brewing in the Grand Central District.

The brewery opened in 2013 as a small 1,600 square-foot tasting room. Today, it has grown into a massive operation with several tasting rooms, event and concert space and a much larger brewery footprint. The brewery serves more than 250,000 patrons annually.

The Hartings have opened another tasting room in Clearwater and have an airport location at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport. And they’ve grown beyond beer, too, now serving and selling at every major retailer, amusement park, liquor store and most restaurants throughout Florida, everything from craft brews to canned cocktails, energy drinks and nonalcoholic beverages.

Harting wants to bring his business success to city government. His platform centers on fiscal responsibility while also reducing city taxes and fees to help with the ongoing affordability issues plaguing areas like St. Pete and beyond.

He also wants to focus on working with employers to ensure residents have access to good-paying jobs and to streamline government regulations to attract new job creators. And he is running on a pledge to work toward improving the city’s aging infrastructure.

His nod from Driscoll comes after Harting in March earned support from former Sen. Jeff Brandes.