We arrive at the Palladium as a family to the site of the Team Kriseman Primary Election Night victory party. The room is teeming with people, many friendly faces. Out in the hallway, the first voice Emeline, our three and a half year-old, hears is that of our friend Commissioner Charlie Justice. We’re walking in, he’s walking past.
Emmy is a little shy. The Commissioner is gracious, helps her feel better by showing her pictures of his own daughters.
By the time we showed up — about 7:30 pm — the results were already locked in: Foster and Kriseman will face each other in the general election (and, via Adam Smith’s Twitter feed, Kathleen Ford has already started to snark, saying “I’m not sure we’ll hear any issues from here on out.”). Mayor Foster pulled 41%, Kriseman brought in 39% — a tie. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for the incumbent mayor.
The mood of the room reflects a jubilant atmosphere, but one in which everyone seems aware of the fight ahead — and what is required.
Says Kriseman campaign manager Cesar Fernandez: “The people of St. Petersburg have had enough of Bill Foster’s lack of leadership. The two biggest problems he inherited remain unsolved. We feel confident that the more Rick Kriseman communicates his vision for a St. Petersburg with more jobs, better schools, and stronger neighborhoods, he will win the election in November and restore leadership in City Hall.”
Fernandez has helped the Kriseman campaign stage the most sophisticated campaign operation in the history of St. Petersburg municipal elections. But they will surely have to put that operation in overdrive now the the general election is officially underway.
Kriseman, in his remarks, seems aware of this as well. He talks about those issues — about why he is running, about what matters — but the real story might be in how he talks about it: with a sort of confidence and steady tone you might find in a, well, mayor.
Inside the big room celebrating — and strategizing — are even more friends and neighbors. There is City Councilman Charlie Gerdes. There’s another County Commissioner — it’s Janet Long! There is Councilman Karl Nurse, and there goes yet another City Councilperson Leslie Curran. Fellow Gulfportian — and mayor himself! — Sam Henderson walks by.
We see friends we don’t see often enough — Mo and Lance Eppley, Kevin and Karis King, Johnny Bardine. I shake hands with Josh Shulman. I finally get to meet Tim Martin and Vince Cocks face to face, rather than just converse on Facebook. There is our good friend and Duncan’s old boss, Keith Fitzgerald. We visit with him for a long time.
The names and faces must flash by Emeline in an incomprehensible blur. It can be overwhelming when you’re 42. It is impossible to imagine what it must be like when you’re three. Her face stays buried in my shoulder for the first part of the evening.
And then we hear the voice. It is State Representative Darryl Rouson, there to do two things: fire up the crowd and introduce Rick.
At the sound of Representative Rouson’s voice, Emmy’s head comes off my shoulder for the first time in a long time. She listens. Then, after a moment, she looks.
As people clap and cheer on Representative Rouson at the applause lines, she begins to smile, ever so slightly. Then she wants me to set her down. Sometimes it is hard to set them down, even when your arm is tired. By the time Rick takes the stage with his beaming, lovely family, Emmy is entranced.
Rick is making his case, making it well — careful not to overstep, not to spike the ball. It would be easy to do. He was in third place just a few weeks ago, now he’s come out of the primary in a tie with the incumbent mayor and the headline today was that a majority of St. Petersburg City Council Members support him. It would have been easy to forget that this is a victory, yes… but it is not November.
Kriseman struck a balanced tone: one of faith and pride in his strong team for winning the day, and one of steady leadership, confidence, hope for the future. When he finished, I looked down and saw Emeline applaud — clap clap clap, palm against palm, fingers splayed the way little kids do — smiling, beaming, really, at the stage. There are too few moments in politics anymore when you can bear witness to, see the evidence of what politicians mean when they talk about building a better city, creating a future worthy of our children. It was nice to be able to do that tonight at the Palladium with all our friends and Rick Kriseman.
