St. Pete Chamber of Commerce to host ‘meet the candidates’ event

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The St. Pete Chamber of Commerce is hosting a “meet the candidates” event on Tuesday at Tropicana Field from 5:30-8 p.m.

The Tampa Bay Rays, Rowdies and Orlando Health are co-presenters.

Candidates planning to attend will be available to speak to voters one-on-one.

As of Monday morning, 20 candidates had confirmed their intended participation. The event will include candidates for the U.S. House and Senate, the Florida House and Senate, the Sixth Judicial Court, Pinellas County Commission, St. Petersburg City Council, Pinellas County School Board and Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections. Not all candidates will attend, however.

Attendees will hear from U.S. Senate candidate Stanley Campbell, one of four Democrats vying for the party’s nomination to take on incumbent Rick Scott. Democratic front-runner Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, as well as Brian Rush and Rod Joseph, are not attending.

In U.S. House races, four Democratic candidates running for the nomination to take on incumbent Republican Anna Paulina Luna in Florida’s 13th Congressional District will be on hand. That includes Liz Dahan, Sabrina Bousbar, Whitney Fox and John Liccione. Mark Weinkrantz is not expected to attend.

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, who represents Florida’s 14th Congressional District, is slated to appear, along with hopeful Republican challengers Ehsan Joarder, Neelam Taneja and Rocky Rochford. Castor does not face a Primary opponent. She’s the overwhelming favorite to win the General Election in November.

One candidate for the Florida Senate will speak at the event: Senate District 21 candidate John Siamas. Siamas is engaged in a long shot bid in the GOP Primary against incumbent Ed Hooper. The winner will face Democrat Doris Carroll in the General Election, though the district is considered relatively safe for Republicans.

Four candidates running in two Florida House districts will also be on hand. House District 60 incumbent Democrat Lindsay Cross and her Republican challenger, current St. Pete City Council member Ed Montanari, will both be on hand. The race is widely expected to be a close one.

Incumbent House District 61 Republican Linda Chaney will also appear, along with her Democratic challenger Nathan Bruemmer. None of the House candidates appearing at the event face Primary opposition.

Both candidates for Pinellas County Commission, District 1 will be there to speak with voters — Democrat Cookie Kennedy and Republican Chris Scherer. The two are running to replace outgoing Commissioner Janet Long, a Democrat.

Pinellas County Commissioner Charlie Justice, a Democrat, will also speak at the event. Justice faces Republican Vincent Nowicki in the General Election for District 3. Nowicki has not confirmed his attendance.

Laura Hine, the incumbent Pinellas County School Board member in District 1, is also confirmed to attend. Her challenger, Moms for Liberty-backed candidate Danielle Marolf, will not be there.

All candidates from the St. Peter City Council District 3 race, except one, are expected to attend, including Mike Harting, Pete Boland, Barry Rubin and Juan Lopez. Nick Carey is not scheduled to attend. The candidates are running to replace Montanari, who is not running for re-election due to term limits.

Both St. Pete City Council District 5 candidates are expected to speak: incumbent Deborah Figgs-Sanders and Torrie Jasuwan.

Three of six candidates running for the District 7 seat on City Council will be in attendance — Donald Bowens Jr., Treva Davis and Wengay Newton. Eritha Cainion, Corey Givens Jr. and Dan Soronen will not attend.

The Republican challenging Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Julie Marcus, Chris Gleason, will be on hand, but the incumbent Republican will not.

Two candidates for the Sixth Judicial Court in Group 9 will also be there — Nicole Pearlman and Kate Spurlock — as well as three candidates for Sixth Judicial Court in Group 14 — Cornelius Demps, Jenn Dubbeld and Nick Fiorentino.

Register to attend here.