St. Petersburg City Council member Lisset Hanewicz was re-elected to her District 4 seat after the qualifying deadline passed without any challengers, according to a May 29 announcement.
With Hanewicz’s re-election and that of colleague Richie Floyd, only Districts 2 and 6 will appear on this year’s ballot. Hanewicz marked her uncontested victory by thanking supporters Friday evening. “I am deeply honored and grateful to have the opportunity to continue serving the residents of St. Petersburg for another four years,” she wrote, adding that voters’ “trust is something I do not take lightly.” She continued, “Thank you to my family, friends, neighbors, volunteers, supporters, and everyone who has believed in this work. Serving St. Petersburg has been one of the great privileges of my life. I remain committed to working hard for the people of our city. There is always much work to be done and I am excited to keep moving St. Petersburg forward together.”
Hanewicz had raised nearly $17,000 as of March for her re-election campaign while spending less than $3,000 so far.
First elected in 2021, Hanewicz received an extra year on her initial term due to a change in municipal election scheduling from odd- to even-numbered years. During her tenure she has focused on taxpayer protections and improving city services delivery; she is also noted as the first Latina elected to serve on the council.
A lawyer by profession with experience as a prosecutor at both the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney’s Office and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Florida’s Middle District Court, Hanewicz left legal practice before taking leadership roles within local neighborhood associations—a path that led her into city politics.
Her prosecutorial background has influenced her approach during council deliberations: In September she questioned Mayor Ken Welch’s administration over its handling of plans for the St. Pete Science Center; following detailed remarks from Hanewicz about inconsistencies regarding feasibility studies tied to a land sale proposal for rehabilitation efforts at the center, council members voted unanimously in support of moving forward with the project.
Hanewicz has also publicly addressed concerns over delays in fulfilling public records requests by city staff—most recently requesting committee discussions aimed at improving those processes after a resident sued over an unfilled request dating back more than a year.
Born in Tampa to Cuban exiles who arrived via Freedom Flights and raised in Miami as a first-generation college student before attending law school herself, Hanewicz will continue serving as Council Chair through 2026 regardless of election outcomes.
District 4 covers neighborhoods including Crescent Lake, Historic Old Northeast, Greater Woodlawn and Meadowlawn.
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