St. Pete City Council candidate Will Newton is playing up his relationship with his brother, City Council member Wengay Newton, in a mailer that hit mailboxes in District 7 this week.
The “Beyond Brotherly Love” mailer, the Newton campaign trumpets the differences between the two candidates.
“I take an issue and run right at you with it. My brother is more quiet and methodical,” a quote from Wengay Newton reads on one side of the flyer. “He’s all about bargaining and reaching a deal. He’ll be a different kind of council member than I am.”
The flier sums up Will Newton’s personal brand of leading in a paragraph outlining his service as a St. Pete firefighter and work with the St. Petersburg Fire Fighters Association and the local firefighter union including duties that took him to Tallahassee to lobby for funding.
“When he was 12 years old, I knew my brother Will was born to help people. He started early and he never quit.”
“Of course I’m going to support my brother, but the real reason I endorse him is because he comes better prepared for this office than anyone I know,” Newton writes on the flier.
The endorsement from his brother plays on two key demographics in the impoverished District 7. It appeals to voters who think fondly of Wengay Newton’s time on Council and makes a call to those who may not support him by highlighting differences.
On the other side of the mailer is a more traditional appeal to voters, including a bullet-pointed list of accomplishments. In addition to his work as a firefighter and EMT and work with unions, Newton was also a member of Mayor Rick Kriseman’s Public Safety Transitional Team Task Force, former president of the Childs Park Neighborhood Association and a member of the Youth Initiative Council of the Childs Park Community Change for Youth Development.
“For nearly two decades, I’ve seen firsthand the character and work ethic of Will Newton. Long before either of us were running for office, we were working together to make the Childs Park neighborhood a better place for families that live there. I strongly endorse his candidacy and urge everyone to support him,” a quote from City Council member Steve Kornell reads at the top left of the flier.
A logo on the right-hand side of the flier plays on Newton’s experience as a public servant. It’s made to resemble identifying lettering on fire trucks. The word “district” replaces “engine” and the number seven is written on it.
“Will Newton will be a fierce voice when our community is maligned, a calming voice when our community is divided and a sensible voice in dealing with others. I urge everyone to elect Will Newton,” reads another quote from State Representative Darryl Rouson.
Wengay Newton is not seeking reelection due to term limits. He’s instead running for Rouson’s House seat, which will be vacated as his final term rolls to an end.
The District 7 Primary is August 25. It’s open only to voters in the district, which includes both Midtown and Childs Park. The top two finishers in the race will square off in the November Primary.
Newton faces four challengers including Lisa Wheeler-Brown, Sheila Scott-Griffin, Aaron Sharpe and Lewis Stephens.
