They insist it isn’t political. On Wednesday, St. Petersburg House Democrat Wengay Newton, along with two other religious figures based in South St. Petersburg, blasted the Rick Kriseman administration for what they believe was an emphasis on gentrifying Midtown, the predominantly black section of the city.
St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman can sound almost cerebral when he makes a case for re-election over his chief opponent, former Mayor Rick Baker. Rene Flowers is much more visceral.
St. Petersburg City Council Chair Darden Rice is announcing an extended list of new endorsements Thursday for her District 4 re-election bid. As a popular first-term Council member and longtime civic activist, Rice enjoys a wellspring of support from elected officials, colleagues and well-wishers on both the local and state levels. The growing list of endorsements includes several prominent local elected officials: State Sen. Darryl Rouson, State Reps. Ben Diamond and Wengay Newton, as well as St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman,…
Rick Kriseman announced a number of high-profile endorsements from St. Petersburg’s African-American community Friday as he continues to build momentum for his re-election. State Senator Darryl Rouson, County Commissioner Ken Welch, School Board member Rene Flowers and City Council Vice-Chair Lisa Wheeler-Bowman all said they would be supporting Kriseman. “Mayor Kriseman has led on important issues and confronted big challenges” said Welch, who has served on the Pinellas County Commission since 2000. “His leadership has helped to bridge what was…
Corey Givens Jr. has earned endorsements of two former St. Petersburg City Council members in his bid for District 6 on the St. Pete Council. Pinellas County School Board member Rene Flowers and former Secretary of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Rev. Frank Peterman are both backing Givens in his second run for public office. According to a statement released Thursday, Givens thanked Flowers for her support. Flowers defeated Givens in 2012 for the County School Board District 7…
A week after the Pinellas County Young Republicans endorsed his candidacy for the House District 66 in 2018, Berny Jacques announced Wednesday that he has received the endorsement of former Pinellas County School Board Member Glen Gilzean. “I’ve had the privilege of knowing Berny both on a personal level and as a grassroots conservative leader,” said Gizean on Wednesday. “As a former Pinellas County School Board member, I am confident that Berny will pursue policies that strengthen our public schools while…
Peggy O’Shea will chair the Pinellas County School Board for another year. O’Shea was chosen to retain her chairmanship of the board during an organizational session Tuesday. Rene Flowers was chosen to be the vice chair. The session also saw the swearing in of two new board members, Joanne Lentino and Eileen Long, and one returning member, Carol Cook. Lentino holds the District 1 at-large seat. Long holds the District 4 seat; Cook, the District 5 seat. O’Shea was elected…
