The time has come for potential St. Petersburg candidates to stop suggesting and start running for office.
Today, the official qualifying deadline arrived for Mayor and City Council candidates. By 5 p.m., anyone wishing to run for city office has to present his or her candidacy and submit the necessary paperwork.
So far, four other candidates announced intention to oust Mayor Bill Foster in his re-election bid: Kathleen Ford, in her third try for mayor; former City Council member and House Representative Rick Kriseman; civic activist Anthony Cates and homeless advocate Paul Congemi.
The Tampa Bay Times is reporting that Kriseman will present his final campaign documents before 5 p.m. Cates filed his paperwork earlier today.
In the contest for District 4, Darden Rice, neurosurgeon David McKalip, Carolyn Fries and Richard Eldridge are running for the seat vacated by term-limited Councilmember Leslie Curran.
In District 8, the race to replace Jeff Danner is between Amy Foster, Steve Gavin and Robert Davis. Danner is also vacating his seat due to term limits. Alexander Duensing is also running for the District 8 seat, having submitted the paperwork just under the deadline.
Civic activist Sharon Russ and Trevor Mallory will challenge City Council chair Karl Nurse in his re-election bid, once rumored to run for mayor this year. Russ is something of a rarity in St. Petersburg politics, a conservative black Republican woman. Both candidates for District 6 have filed the required forms prior to today’s deadline.
At a minimum, to qualify candidates must be electors (registered voters) of the City of St. Petersburg. For election to the City Council, candidates must reside in the affirmed district for at least the preceding 12 months as of the primary date of August 27.
Redistricting based on the 2010 census changed the city’s district maps in March. The new boundaries caused McKalip and Rice to scramble to meet residency requirements. Both candidates recently rented homes in the newly drawn District 4.
A last-minute move by the city put to rest residency requirement questions for Lorraine Margeson in her challenge of Jim Kennedy for his District 2 City Council seat. In a memo issued Thursday, St. Petersburg Chief Assistant Attorney Mark Winn gave activist Lorraine Margeson the legal sanction to go against Kennedy for City Council.
Both Kennedy and Margeson have filed the appropriate forms with the city for their campaigns.
Mayoral candidates must be a resident of the city for the previous 12 months, as of the date of the primary election. Candidates also “cannot have become and cannot be a candidate, a nominee or representative of any political party or any committee or convention representing or acting for any political party.”
As of the cutoff date, candidates must file a number of affidavits, statements and reports. Florida statutes establish an Election Assessment Fee (EAF) to be remitted to the state. For the office of Mayor, the EAF is $1,583.55, based on a present annual salary of $158,355.00. The EAF for candidates for Councilmember is $389.14, based on the salary of $38,914.00. Candidates also are assessed a city qualifying fee of $250.
The can waive the fees by claiming an affidavit of “undue burden.”
Official forms that needs filing by today’s deadline include:
- For Mayor, a City of St. Petersburg Nomination Application.
- For City Council candidates, a Nomination Application and Affidavit.
- An “Appointment of Campaign Treasurer and Designation of Campaign Depository” submitted before opening campaign accounts.
- “Statement of Candidate” filed within ten days after submitting the paperwork to appoint a Treasurer.
- A “Loyalty Oath” where candidates pledges to follow the rules of the Constitution and the Laws of Florida.
- “Statement of Financial Interests” and “Full and Public Disclosure of Financial Interests.”
Once qualified, candidates cannot pay to speak at political meetings nor use city officials for campaigning during working hours. Candidates can’t ask for contributions from religious, charitable, civic or other organizations established chiefly for the public good. They also are prohibited from giving to religious, charitable, civic or other organizations established for the public good in exchange for political support.
Today is also the qualifying deadline for write-in candidates for the August ballot. For the primary election, individuals who submit a write-in candidate for City Council needs to bring applications to the city clerk, declaring the candidate’s district.
Write-in candidates themselves can also express their intent to be on the ballot, as well as register an affidavit that they are a registered voter. For the City Council races, write-ins must meet residency requirements. The city will consider write-in votes only for qualified candidates.
