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Ballot is bulging in mayoral race
By LEONORA LaPETER and BRYAN GILMER © St. Petersburg Times, published January 31, 2001 ST. PETERSBURG -- This year, voters can't complain about a lack of choices. From a former Chamber of Commerce president to a dedicated socialist, St. Petersburg's mayoral campaign surely has something for everyone. On Tuesday, nine candidates qualified to run for mayor in the Feb. 27 primary, many of them buoyed by the lack of an incumbent candidate and drawn to both the power of the office and its $100,000 salary. The top two vote-getters in the non-partisan primary advance to the general election March 27. This is the first time since St. Petersburg chose a strong mayor form of government in 1993 that the incumbent hasn't run for re-election. It's the largest number of candidates for St. Petersburg mayor since 1975, when nine also ran. "It's extraordinary in terms of the numbers, but one would expect there to be more than the usual candidates when you have an incumbent mayor who's decided not to run," said Darryl Paulson, a professor of government at the University of South Florida. mayoral candidates are: Patrick Bailey, 41, a collection agency owner, is campaigning on the idea of helping the city's poorest neighborhoods. He doubts opponents will follow through on promises to reduce poverty. Former Chamber of Commerce president Rick Baker, 44, a lawyer and supporter of Fischer in previous campaigns, has crafted his own bid for the city's top job. He has a four-point plan for improving St. Petersburg: improving poor neighborhoods, making the city safer from crime, supporting neighborhood associations and demanding better public schools. Ronnie Beck, 46, owner of Sunwest Space Systems, a drafting company, would like to create an atmosphere in which the City Council and mayor work as a team. Beck ran for City Council District 2 in 1997 and lost in an uncontentious race to Bea Griswold. City Council member Kathleen Ford, who won admirers and detractors with her abrasive, hard-charging style, has represented neighborhoods north of downtown on the City Council for the past four years. A lawyer and former nurse, Ford, 43, said she is committed to neighborhood revitalization and business growth. She's also concerned about having enough police officers. Louis Miceli, a factory worker for Jabil Circuit, said his decision to run started as an offhand comment, a joke about what he would do once his part-time maintenance job ended with the departure of the minor league Devil Rays. Now the 38-year-old hopes to appeal to voters who are tired of practiced politicians. Neighborhood activist, former city Planning Commission chairman and printing company owner Karl Nurse, 46, says he can bring leadership to the chief executive's office. He also promises new and better jobs for residents and improved public safety and residential neighborhoods. Maria Scruggs-Weston, 43, who runs a breast cancer awareness program for St. Anthony's Hospital, advocates fostering economic development, creating community-based health facilities to address health disparities and adding staff to the Neighborhood Partnership Office. City Council chairman Larry Williams, 56, the owner of a diagnostic imaging company, won his first council term in 1995 and is in the middle of his second term. A resident of St. Petersburg for 35 years, Williams has campaigned on the need for strong leadership in the mayor's office. Omali Yeshitela, 59, is running after regaining his right to vote late last year, when Gov. Jeb Bush and Florida's Cabinet granted him clemency. He lost his civil rights after he tore down a painting at City Hall that he considered racially offensive and was convicted of felony theft in 1966. Yeshitela, chairman of the African People's Socialist Party, is running a campaign based on "uniting St. Petersburg in shared prosperity."
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