Brandi Gabbard announced on May 20 a comprehensive platform for her campaign for St. Petersburg Mayor, centering on climate resilience, affordability, and neighborhood growth.
Gabbard’s platform comes as she seeks to offer voters an alternative to incumbent Mayor Ken Welch and former Governor Charlie Crist in the upcoming 2026 mayoral race. The plan outlines proposals aimed at lowering costs for residents, modernizing infrastructure, expanding housing options, supporting small businesses, and reevaluating major redevelopment projects.
In a campaign video released with the announcement, Gabbard said, “St. Petersburg is ground zero for rapid climate change and we need to be ground zero for rapid response. Over 49% of our city is currently located in the coastal high hazard, and that is why it’s so important that we help our residents to be able to build higher, stronger and faster. We have to marry good housing policy with job creation.” She added: “If you are going to be able to afford to live, work and play here in the city of St. Petersburg, we have to make sure that we’re creating better paying jobs. As a city of neighborhoods, we are going to build stronger together.”
A notable part of her platform calls for exploring energy independence from Duke Energy by studying municipal or cooperative power models that could reduce utility costs while keeping revenue within St. Petersburg for reinvestment into local infrastructure.
The campaign also addresses food insecurity by proposing urban agriculture initiatives and support for community-owned grocery stores in underserved areas such as South St. Petersburg.
Gabbard’s housing policies draw from her experience as a real estate broker and City Council member—she supports zoning changes aimed at reducing regulations that increase housing costs; expanding access to “missing middle” housing; encouraging workforce housing investment; strengthening the Community Benefits Ordinance; securing affordable live-work spaces for artists; implementing down payment assistance programs; converting underused land into affordable homes per HB 1339 (2020); and offering rental assistance programs targeting city employees.
On redevelopment efforts like those involving the Historic Gas Plant District—which was home to families displaced decades ago—Gabbard said there should be “real economic opportunity and financial empowerment” before finalizing any development plans: “press pause, catch our breath, and ensure we get this right.”
Her public safety agenda includes continued investment in alternative response programs such as the Community And Life Liaison (CALL) program—designed so mental health or poverty-related calls go directly to specialists—as well as competitive pay packages for first responders.
The small business portion of her platform emphasizes streamlining processes at City Hall based on her own entrepreneurial background along with building partnerships between neighborhood storefronts and regional employers through cooperation with groups like the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce.
Gabbard also supports safer streets via transit-oriented development principles such as Vision Zero—a strategy intended “to ensure our streets are secure for all road users” by redesigning corridors with improved sidewalks or protected bike lanes—and environmental measures including EV charging requirements in multifamily buildings plus urban tree canopy investments using BP settlement funds.
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