Lorraine Margeson may have run a spirited campaign for St. Petersburg City Council, focusing on popular issues like the environment and the future of the Pier; it was just not enough to topple Jim Kennedy in District 2.
With nearly all districts reporting, the incumbent easily won re-election to the City Council, receiving 63% of the vote, compared to Margeson with only 37%. St. Petersburg voters cast approximately 45,000 ballots in this citywide election.
Even after an enthusiastic Saturday campaign motorcade around the city, Margeson failed to overcome Kennedy’s fundraising prowess, which at $33,400 was three times the $11,875 the environmental activist raised overall.
With campaign money that lopsided, support for Margeson simply could not hold up.
Margeson’s performance was impressive, especially when considering the “Keep Kennedy” campaign was consistently ahead in pre-election surveys, enjoying a 17-point edge leading into Tuesday’s election, and 36.5 percent of residents entering the voting booth undecided.
