ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay 28 invited more than 200 candidates running in the Aug.18, 2026, primary election across our five-county area to submit the following: a candidate photo, a 100-word biography, and responses to three questions:
- Why are you running for office?
- In your own words, what differentiates you from your opponents?
- Explain what you see as the most important issue facing our community and how are you uniquely qualified to address that issue?
The following candidates responded to our questionnaire.
Gabriel Hament
Background (provided by candidate):
My name is Gabriel Hament and I am running to represent District 2 on the St. Petersburg City Council. I will bring the strong, balanced leadership required to tackle the city’s most pressing challenges and seize its promising opportunities. I will draw on three main areas of my background to make sound decisions on the Council: (i) legal; (ii) financial; and (iii) volunteer service on a government advisory board. Our campaign is focused on storm resilience and infrastructure hardening, bringing down the cost of living, expanding economic opportunity, and preserving St. Pete’s culture of inclusion.
Why are you running for office?
- Macro: I believe local government is where we will create policies and solutions to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, climate change and associated increase in extreme weather events, and protect and expand civil rights. I do not see leadership in Tallahassee or Washington developing a focused vision for these critical issues. Cities will lead the conversation on cost-of-living, infrastructure resilience, and civil rights; Tallahassee and Washington will follow.
- District-Specific: Home to significant corporate headquarters, open land, and underutilized office parks, I believe there is great opportunity in District 2. With the District 2 Master Plan in formation, we have an opportunity for long-term planning to capitalize on the district’s unparalleled location as a mid-point between the centers of St. Pete and Tampa. I plan to focus on bringing a sense of place to the District by naming it The Gateway District, as was similarly done under Council Member Steve Kornell’s tenure with the Skyway Marina District in south St. Pete. I will be focused on enhancing public spaces in the district and seeking funding for an additional park and community center, public art, trees and landscaping along major corridors, and traffic calming on MLK. When people drive across the Howard Frankland and Gandy bridges, they should immediately know they are entering St. Pete, the best city in Florida.
In your own words, what differentiates you from your opponents?
I will draw on three main areas of my background to make sound decisions on Council:
i. Legal—As an assistant public defender I stand with people at their lowest moment and ensure their Constitutional rights are protected, Due Process is followed, and their voices are heard in the courtroom. I know how to effectively advocate on behalf of others and hold power to account; I do it every day battling the State of Florida. My first major assignment as a public defender was in juvenile delinquency court representing young people who made a bad decision and were facing prosecution. Fortunately, the objective of delinquency court is rehabilitation. I worked collaboratively with case managers, school principals, mental health professionals, and parents to ensure kids got the services they needed to rebound and live productive, fulfilling lives. I have represented clients at each critical stage of the justice process, from first appearance through jury trial.
My legal education and training have equipped me with the knowledge to understand and navigate the complex policy environment in which local ordinances, state and federal law, and administrative rulemaking intersect.
ii. Financial—As an investment advisor representative, I primarily worked with nonprofit and charitable institutions to develop and manage an investment plan for their endowments. In that role I worked closely with boards of directors and management teams to ensure donor funds were managed prudently, with an eye toward risk management and cost control—so that as many dollars are possible were channeled to the accomplishment and expansion of the organizations’ charitable missions. At the same firm as part of a rotation, I worked on a bond trading floor assisting with research on municipal bond issuers, portfolio design, and trade processing. I will apply this knowledge and experience in overseeing and monitoring the City’s overall financial position, pension and fixed income investments, and credit rating.
iii. Volunteer Service on a Government Advisory Board—Prior to entering law school, I was appointed by the Sarasota County School Board to serve on the District’s Financial Advisory Committee where I monitored the District’s fixed income reserve accounts (~$50MM) and ensured the proceeds from the voter-authorized additional 1-mil in ad valorem taxes were allocated in alignment with the voters’ intent. (higher teacher pay, 30 minutes of extra instructional time per day, school security, STEM and arts programming). My experience in this oversight role transfers directly to the budgetary and oversight duties of the Council.
Explain what you see as the most important issue facing our community and how are you uniquely qualified to address that issue?
Storm preparedness and infrastructure hardening: The global climate is changing and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. A brief drive through Riviera Bay will reveal that neighbors are still recovering from the ’24 storms.
As a coastal community, we must develop and organize a Marshall Plan-level response to climate change and storms. I will fight to bring as many dollars as possible into District 2 to fortify critical infrastructure in order to protect homes and minimize service disruption during future storms. I will work closely with neighborhood leaders, environmental scientists, and public and private engineering professionals to better manage stormwater collection and distribution so that neighborhoods are prepared for significant rain events and hurricane season.
As part of the proposed $600 million storm preparedness bond (SPAR) to be voted on this November, I will advocate for a portion of those funds to be allocated to a grant program for residential storm hardening (i.e. raising A/C units, storm shutters, property drainage) or seek other sources of funding. I will also lobby the state and federal legislators to expand Elevate Florida.
As a battle-tested attorney representing indigent defendants, I advocate on behalf of others every day. The stakes are high for my clients—their liberty is in jeopardy. I will bring that same level of focus and persistence to developing solutions and securing funding to protect life and property from increasingly intense storms and sea level rise.
*I completed this questionnaire without the use of artificial intelligence.
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