Incumbent
St. Petersburg Mayoral Election
$1.00
AUG 19, 2026
General Election
Voters choose the office holder.
Overview
Current roleMayor
PartyDemocratic
Age61 years old (Aug 15, 1964)
GenderMale
LocationFlorida
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BackgroundPolitician
EducationUniversity of South Florida — BA
Notable personal detailsKenneth T. Welch is an American politician serving as the mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida, first taking office in January 2022. Before becoming mayor, he served on the Pinellas County Commission from 2002 to 2022. He has a background in accounting and has worked in the private sector and in his family’s accounting business. He earned a BA from the University of South Florida and an MBA from Florida A&M University.
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Positions
Economy & Taxes
As mayor Ken Welch has proposed budgets that fund increased spending on housing, resilience, public safety, and transit initiatives while also pointing to lower effective property tax rates for homesteaded homeowners in some years. His fiscal actions show both targeted spending increases and efforts to limit property-tax burdens rather than a clearly consistent pro-tax or pro–tax-cut ideology.
Healthcare
Ken Welch has supported expanding access to mental health services and using federal funds for local public-health programs. He has emphasized a science-based approach to COVID-19 and investments that support hospitals and frontline workers. His public statements and city actions focus on local government-supported health initiatives rather than privatization or repeal of federal programs.
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Immigration & Border
As mayor, Ken Welch has opposed aggressive or unconstitutional ICE tactics and has said St. Petersburg will not support warrantless home entry or expanded ICE actions; he has indicated local officers are not taking ICE enforcement training and framed compliance as limited to what state law requires. He has received public pressure from immigrant-rights groups to end local ICE/287(g) arrangements but has emphasized constitutional limits and community trust in policing.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
The candidate has publicly denied being opposed to abortion in a 2021 mayoral debate remark but has not a clear, detailed public policy statement on abortion access or specific limits. Available reporting shows a denial of opposition but does not provide a definitive position on whether he supports codifying abortion rights or specific restrictions. Further primary-source statements or policy documents are not found in the searched sources.
Climate & Energy
Supports recognizing climate change impacts and prioritizing adaptation and resilience through large investments in climate-resilient infrastructure and planning; emphasizes preparing the city for stronger storms, sea-level rise, and flood mitigation rather than advocating fossil-fuel expansion. Focuses on funding and implementation of an Agile Resiliency Plan and related infrastructure projects.
Public Safety & Guns
Supports limits on visible public carrying of firearms and has expressed concern about proposals to allow permitless open carry; has opposed residential shooting ranges in neighborhoods, indicating support for restrictions on where firearms can be openly used to protect public safety.
Endorsements
Endorsers of Ken Welch for St. Petersburg Mayoral Election
Charlie Crist
Elected official
Charlie Crist endorsed Ken Welch for St. Petersburg mayor in Welch's earlier campaign.
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