ABOVE: Darden Rice on the steps of St. Petersburg City Hall Jan. 12. Photo by Dylan Todd.
ST. PETERSBURG | City Councilmember Darden Rice filed paperwork to run for St. Petersburg mayor Jan. 12, officially launching her campaign to succeed the term-limited Mayor Rick Kriseman in 2022.
Rice was first elected to represent St. Petersburg’s District 4 in 2013, a seat she retained in 2017 with more than 72% of the vote. She also made political history in 2005 by becoming the first openly LGBTQ candidate to run for public office in Pinellas County.
If elected, she could make history again. Rice would become St. Petersburg’s 54th but first openly LGBTQ mayor – a distinction that would mirror the neighboring city of Tampa’s 2019 victory of Mayor Jane Castor.
“My candidacy is a historic first,” Rice says. “I would be the city’s first openly gay mayor and that’s something I’m excited about, and that I’m proud of, but it’s not why I’m running.
“It shouldn’t be the reason why anyone else should vote for me either,” she adds. “I am excited about this year to show that I am the best candidate for mayor – to be everybody’s mayor and to serve everyone.”
The sentiment echoes her announcement video, seen below:
“I’m running for mayor because we need bold, new ideas to address our most pressing needs, and a strong leader with my experience who will make it happen,” Rice says. “I’ve fought tirelessly for working people my entire life, and as a member of City Council for the past seven years, I’ve been a leader in solving local issues and driving progress in our community.”
“We’re facing difficult times right now as a city, a state and a nation,” she continues, “but I have no doubt that we can come together to address our challenges and make St. Petersburg an even stronger city.”
Rice has long worked toward that goal. As a St. Petersburg resident for nearly 20 years, she previously served as president of the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area, the nonpartisan political organization; the Florida director of Healthy Gulf, an anti-pollution nonprofit; a senior associate with the environmentally-focused Sierra Club Florida and as the health care policy director for Progress Florida, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting progressive values.
Since her election, Rice has served on a number of high profile committees. They include the Health, Energy, Resiliency and Sustainability Committee; Housing, Land Use and Transportation Committee; the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority Executive Committee and the Public Services and Infrastructure Committee.
Rice also created the program designed to combat wage theft within city limits, spearheaded efforts for universal curbside recycling and has championed affordable housing while supporting small businesses and more throughout her two terms.
Currently, Rice chairs Forward Pinellas, the local land usage and transportation agency charged with addressing countywide concerns. She also serves as an executive board member for Tampa Bay Water, which ensures Tampa Bay has sustainable drinking water while supporting the local economy and environment.
To kick off her campaign, Rice announced a number of goals for what could become her first term as mayor. They include creating universal pre-kindergarten and free two-year community college and technical programs for area students, making St. Petersburg “the Education City.”
“We know we can’t always count on state efforts to prioritize and ensure student success,” Rice explains. “Our city needs to take a more active role in making sure our children start off with the tools they need to graduate high school and pursue additional education or job training if they desire.”
Former Florida Rep. Wengay Newton in also running for St. Petersburg mayor, having become the first candidate to file paperwork late last year. Others are expected to join the race ahead of the 2021 primary, scheduled for Aug. 24. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates will advance to the general election on Nov. 2.
“This is a grassroots campaign,” Rice says. “We’re looking forward to getting out and talking to the people of St. Petersburg. I want to hear what they think and feel about the city – I want their engagement and I’m very excited about what this next year holds for us.”
For more information about Rice’s campaign for mayor, visit DardenRice.com. You can also view a gallery of photos by Dylan Todd from the candidate’s discussion with Watermark in front of St. Petersburg City Hall after her Jan. 12 filing below.
You must be logged in to post a comment.