ABOVE: St. Petersburg City Council Vice Chair Gina Driscoll attends St Pete Pride 2019. Photo courtesy Driscoll.
ST. PETERSBURG | Florida’s largest organization dedicated to electing pro-equality candidates has endorsed St. Petersburg City Councilmember Gina Driscoll’s re-election efforts in District 6.
Driscoll was first elected in 2017 and is currently serving a second year as the city council’s vice chair. Her campaign announced the Equality Florida Action PAC had endorsed her Feb. 23, just over a month after announcing her bid for a second term.
“I’m proud of the work we’ve done over the past three years,” Driscoll shared Jan. 11. “I believe we should continue our progress and that’s why I’m running for re-election.
“As we navigate the impacts of COVID-19, St. Petersburg has been a beacon of responsible, responsive government,” she continued. “We’ve worked neighborhood-by-neighborhood and block-by-block to support our local small businesses, increase affordable housing and provide critical resources to our residents in need.”
Those efforts have extended to LGBTQ residents, something that led the Equality Florida Action PAC to endorse her. The organization cited Driscoll’s longtime commitment to equality in announcing their support.
“St. Petersburg has long been a leading Southern city on LGBTQ rights, thanks to leaders like Councilwoman Gina Driscoll,” Equality Florida Senior Political Director Joe Saunders said in a statement. “We’re putting a marker down for our members and supporters early and clearly.
“Councilmember Gina Driscoll has a long history of fighting for marginalized people, especially LGBTQ communities,” he continued. “We need Gina’s leadership in one of Florida’s most important cities. On November 2nd support Gina Driscoll for St. Petersburg City Council District 6!”
Among her first-term achievements, Driscoll successfully led the effort to include LGBTQ-owned businesses in St. Petersburg’s Small Business Enterprise program. The program certifies businesses for contracting and procurement opportunities in construction, professional services, goods, supplies and more.
City Council voted unanimously to pass a resolution recognizing them in June 2019. It opened the door for businesses that are at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by LGBTQ individuals to receive business counseling, networking, specialized assistance and more.
Driscoll also championed the city’s high-profile reduction of single-use plastics like drinking straws. She advises “it started a larger conversation about what we can do to choose better, more environmentally responsible alternatives,” and notes these signature achievements stemmed directly from St. Petersburg constituents.
“They were important to me because in listening to residents in our city, these are our topics that are important to them,” Driscoll explains. “We have a very environmentally minded community here and a city that is very open and welcoming to all. We’re always looking for ways that we can further that through our policies.”
Driscoll raised nearly $28,000 during the opening month of her campaign, momentum she’s thankful for and hopes to maintain. “I’ve been thrilled to see so much support from so many people across our city,” she says. “It’s encouraging to see that there are so many who are proud of the work that I’ve done and want that good work to continue.”
That includes the Equality Florida Action PAC, an endorsement which she’s honored to have. “Equality Florida has been on the frontlines of civil rights for so long,” she explains.
“To be recognized by an organization that is this strong and is committed to the same goals that I am, it means the world to me,” Driscoll continues. “It’s humbling to be recognized for the work that I’ve done.”
Driscoll will first appear on the Aug. 24 St. Petersburg primary ballot but has no opponent at this time. For more information about her campaign or the Equality Florida Action PAC, visit GinaDriscoll.com and EQFLPAC.org.
