Janelle Irwin Taylor
St. Petersburg City Council candidate Mike Harting is gearing up for the home stretch in his race against Pete Boland for the open District 3 seat after both candidates clinched the top two spots last month in a crowded Primary.
Harting’s campaign is holding a General Election kickoff fundraiser Wednesday, featuring a who’s who of bipartisan supporters on his host committee. That includes Democrats Gina Driscoll, a current City Council member, state Sen. Darryl Rouson and Scott Wagman, a local business leader and philanthropist who once ran unsuccessfully for Mayor.
His host committee also includes several notable Republicans, including former St. Pete Mayor Rick Baker, former St. Pete City Council member Robert Blackmon, former state Sen. Jeff Brandes, former state Rep. Frank Farkas, strategist Nick Hansen, and GOP consultants Randy Enwright and Jim Rimes.
The bipartisan support is important. St. Pete municipal elections are nonpartisan. Candidates’ political affiliations won’t appear on the ballot, and they are prevented from discussing them. Harting is not affiliated with a party, while Boland is a registered Republican. Support on both sides of the aisle should help Harting woo a broad swath of undecided voters.
The minimum suggested donation for the event at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club is $250, with the maximum individual contribution at $1,000.
Harting faces Boland in the Nov. 5 General Election after finishing second just behind Boland in the August Primary. The two are vying to replace incumbent Ed Montanari, who is not seeking re-election due to term limits.
Harting has been full steam ahead in his campaign since the Primary, most recently earning an endorsement from the Sun Coast Police Benevolent Association. Before that, he received a nod from Farkas, a former Republican member of the House. Baker also recently endorsed Harting.
Harting, co-owner of 3 Daughters Brewing, wants to bring his business success to city government. His platform centers on fiscal responsibility and reducing city taxes and fees to help with 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 streamline government regulations to attract new job creators. He is also running on a pledge to improve 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 over 150 local charity projects yearly, 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.
