Janelle Irwin Taylor
The Sun Coast Police Benevolent Association is endorsing Mike Harting for St. Petersburg City Council.
Harting is running for the District 3 seat currently held by Ed Montanari, who is not seeking re-election due to term limits. Harting, co-owner of 3 Daughters Brewing in the Grand Central District, faces restaurateur Pete Boland in the Nov. 5 General Election. Harting and Boland finished in the top two in a crowded Primary in August, setting up a Fall runoff.
“I am honored to earn the endorsement of the Sun Coast Police Benevolent Association,” Harting said. “I’ve always been a friend to our incredible police and First Responders here in St. Petersburg. Our men and women in law enforcement sacrifice so much to protect our neighborhoods, schools, and businesses, and I look forward to continuing to support their mission as a member of the St. Petersburg City Council.”
Harting finished slightly behind Boland in the August Primary Election. But the score is reset for the General Election, and Harting has been full steam ahead in collecting support ahead of Nov. 5. That includes recent support from Frank Farkas, a former Republican member of the House.
While St. Pete City Council races are nonpartisan — meaning candidates’ political affiliations don’t appear on the ballot and candidates are barred from touting them in any campaign activity — Boland is a registered Republican, while Harting isn’t affiliated with a party. Still, Harting has been earning a lot of support from conservatives, including recently from former St. Pete Mayor Rick Baker. Montanari is currently the only registered Republican serving on the City Council.
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 also secured endorsements 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.
