St. Petersburg City Council member Richie Floyd has been re-elected to his District 8 seat after the city’s qualifying deadline for the 2026 election passed without an opponent filing to challenge him, according to a May 29 announcement.
Floyd ran on a platform based on affordability and reducing corporate influence in city government. He celebrated his unopposed victory on social media, writing, “We WON. I’m honored to have been reelected for a second term to St. Pete City Council! It’s the honor of a lifetime to represent the hard working people of District 8 at City Hall, and I’m grateful to be able to spend four more years working on building a city that stands up for its residents and truly works for everyone.”
He also thanked supporters by saying, “everyone who helped us knock over 5000 doors and raise funds from nearly 500 people in just a handful of months! We couldn’t have accomplished it without you.” Floyd raised more than $36,000 for his campaign as of the end of March and spent just over $3,000. His campaign focused on affordability, protections for tenants, and fighting corporate influence in city government.
Floyd was first elected four years ago. While council positions are nonpartisan, he describes himself as a Democratic Socialist. In both his initial election and this re-election effort, Floyd relied on grassroots campaigning with small-dollar donations and volunteer support.
A Florida native, Floyd previously worked as an electrical engineer and science teacher with Pinellas County Schools. He lives in Central Oak Park with his wife Miranda and became involved in civic organizing after moving to St. Petersburg.
Floyd supports mixed-income city-owned social housing projects, expanding small-scale housing options, providing legal assistance for tenants facing eviction, limiting short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods, and opposes approaches that subsidize landlords while rents rise—saying policies should deliver meaningful affordability instead.
