Another campaign mailer touting Will Newton for City Council District 7 hit mailboxes in St. Pete Friday. The addressed side of the mailer shows a smiling photo of Newton gazing out to the side with a park behind him touting the candidate as “the real deal!”
Under his photo a resume of accomplishments is listed, including his service as district vice president for the local chapter of the Florida Professional Firefighters, 23-year firefighter and EMT veteran, 2011 Professional Firefighter of the Year, former Childs Park Neighborhood Association president, past president of the St. Petersburg Association of Firefighters, a member of Mayor Rick Kriseman’s transition team and a member of the Childs Park Community Change for Youth Development Youth Initiative Council.
A brief bio asks, “How often does a career call for determination, hard work, trust, compassion and the courage to save lives?” It then answers that as a firefighter, “the job demands no less.”
The dialogue continues to tout his community service throughout years as a negotiator, firefighter and community leader.
The other side plays on the community’s sense of family showing several photos of Newton and his own family. Those include a photo of Newton as a teenager with his now deceased mother.
“Mine is a story not too different from most people who come from a large family. You watch someone go to work every day. You witness a strong work ethic and a passion of caring for others. That’s how responsibility came naturally to me,” Newton wrote on the flier referring to his mother.
There are also photos of Newton as a young firefighter and of his large family including brother, Wengay Newton, when the two were young teenagers.
Newton seeks to replace his brother who is term-limited out of office. He faces community activist Lisa Wheeler-Brown for that seat.
The mailer does not mention his opponent. Instead it talks about Newton’s priorities. Those include making public safety the city’s highest priority with support for law enforcement and fire and emergency medical service personnel, attracting new businesses to the city by helping existing businesses grow, improving education for St. Pete’s youth and protecting taxpayers by securing Major League Baseball.
That last component is the biggest ticket issue in this race. The Tampa Bay Times endorsed Newton’s opponent based on her support for a now defunct agreement that would have allowed the Tampa Bay Rays to explore stadium sites outside the city.
Newton’s mailer says he plans to make sure the Tropicana Field site yields the highest possible benefit to St. Pete residents.
Newton faces Wheeler-Brown at the ballot box for a citywide vote on November 3.
