St. Petersburg City Council candidate Robert Blackmon announced endorsements Thursday from a former council member and the chair of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority.
“I am supporting Robert Blackmon for City Council because, like me, he believes in building consensus,” said TBARTA chair James Holton. “He will be able to achieve consensus on the City Council and in the region on the issues facing us.”
In addition to serving TBARTA chair, Holton is a member of state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Co. and is the former director of Enterprise Florida, a public-private partnership that aims to lure businesses to the Sunshine State.
Blackmon also picked up an endorsement from Larry Williams, who served two terms in a since-redrawn council seat including many of the same neighborhoods covered by the seat Blackmon is seeking.
“I am energetically backing Blackmon and encourage my friends and supporters to vote for Robert Blackmon for City Council District 6,” he said.
The Holton and Williams endorsements follow an announcement last week that current Councilman Jim Kennedy is also backing Blackmon.
Blackmon is one of eight candidates trying to survive the Aug. 29 primary to replace termed-out council member Karl Nurse. The other candidates are Justin Bean, Gina Driscoll, Maria Scruggs, Akile Cainion, James Scott, Jim Jackson and Corey Givens, Jr.
The top two vote getters will square off on the November ballot.