Janelle Irwin Taylor
Former state Rep. Frank Farkas is endorsing Mike Harting for St. Petersburg City Council.
Harting is running in District 3 to replace incumbent Ed Montanari, who is not seeking re-election due to term limits. Harting, co-owner of 3 Daughters Brewing, faces restaurateur Pete Boland in the Nov. 5 General Election after they clinched the top two spots in the August Primary, with Boland finishing slightly ahead of Harting.
“Mike Harting is the leader we need on the St. Pete City Council,” Farkas said. “Through his local businesses and involvement in the community, Mike has gained a deep understanding of the issues facing our city, and we can trust him to keep taxes in check, repair our infrastructure, and bring great job creators to St. Petersburg. I fully endorse Mike Harting for City Council.”
Farkas served as a Republican in the Florida House of Representatives from 1999 until 2006 representing what was then House District 52 covering parts of Pinellas County. Harting is registered without party affiliation, while Boland is a registered Republican.
While Harting does not affiliate with a political party, he has been earning a lot of support from conservatives, including most recently from former St. Pete Mayor Rick Baker.
Harting said it was an honor to receive Farkas’ support.
“Frank was an extraordinary voice for our families and businesses in Tallahassee, and our city is better off for his leadership. I look forward to continuing our work together,” he said.
Harting wants to bring his business success to city government. His platform centers on fiscal responsibility and reducing city taxes and fees to help with the ongoing affordability issues plaguing areas like St. Pete and beyond.
He 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. He is also running on a pledge to work toward improving the city’s aging infrastructure.
3 Daughters Brewery is known throughout St. Pete not just for its tasty beverages and lively entertainment venues, but also as a charitable beacon. The company has worked with more than 150 local charity projects each year, including a line of kids’ beverages served with the “Men in the Making” program in Pinellas County Schools.
3 Daughters was also one of the first businesses in the nation to utilize its production facility to make and distribute hand sanitizer — for free — during the early days of the COVID pandemic, when stores were struggling to keep commercial products on shelves.
Harting has been aggressively collecting endorsements. In addition to Farkas and Baker, he has landed support from Sen. Darryl Rouson, former Sen. Jeff Brandes and City Council member Gina Driscoll. He also has support from former St. Pete City Council members Robert Blackmon and Kathleen Ford, among others.
