Tampa Bay 28 invited more than 200 candidates running in the August 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.
Brandi Gabbard
Background (provided by candidate):
I have proudly called St. Petersburg home since 2003, building a life here with my husband, Keith, and our son. As a successful residential real estate broker and business leader for over two decades, I bring deep private-sector expertise to public service. For 9 years, I have served on the St. Petersburg City Council, championing regional transit, urban agriculture, and coastal resilience as Chair of both the Environmental and Legislative committees. As a former Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council Chair, my deep municipal experience makes me uniquely prepared to lead our city forward as your next Mayor.
Why are you running for office?
I am running for Mayor to bring experienced, collaborative leadership to City Hall and ensure every resident can thrive. Having served on the City Council for nearly a decade, I understand how to turn policy into action. St. Petersburg is at a pivotal moment, and I am ready to lead on day one with our residents at the heart of everything we do.
My platform is built on real solutions for our neighborhoods:
- Resilience & Infrastructure: Fixing our permitting process and investing in modern infrastructure to protect our homes and local businesses.
- Affordability: Expanding smart housing policy while driving workforce education and job growth so families can afford to live here.
- Quality of Life: Directing real resources toward ending food insecurity and achieving safe roads for all users.
In your own words, what differentiates you from your opponents?
What differentiates me is a nine-year track record on City Council of putting residents over political theater. I don't just point out challenges because I have spent a decade actively working to solve them. My leadership stands apart because I have a proven track record of prioritizing community-first growth and accountability, including leading the initiative for an independent planning process for the Historic Gas Plant District, challenging public power companies, expanding safe streets, ending food insecurity, and protecting our local community values from state overreach. I offer the precise balance of private sector business experience and deep municipal knowledge needed to be an effective Mayor beginning day one.
Explain what you see as the most important issue facing our community and how are you uniquely qualified to address that issue?
The most pressing issue facing St. Petersburg is the economic threat of climate change. With nearly half of our city lying within the coastal high hazard area, skyrocketing property insurance rates and the high cost of flood recovery are driving our next housing affordability crisis. Without proactive leadership, we risk displacing multigenerational residents and leaving our neighborhoods accessible only to wealthy investors. This challenge also increases the pressure on our inland neighborhoods and forces increased density and unaffordability citywide.
My career as a real estate broker of over twenty years, past Chair of the National Association of Realtors Insurance Committee, and past Chair of the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council uniquely qualifies me to address this challenge. I possess the precise combination of local legislative experience and industry expertise needed to protect our coastal communities.
As Mayor, I will implement concrete solutions by reforming our permitting systems so residents can build stronger and higher before storms hit, investing in a citywide plan to upgrade flood infrastructure, and supporting local industries focused on green resilience technology. We can ensure St. Petersburg remains a viable, affordable city where families can protect their investments and thrive for generations.
Maria Lynne Scruggs
Why are you running for office?
St. Petersburg is my home. I was raised here, and I raised my daughter here. But today, too many residents feel as though the city has lost some of the charm, character, and sense of belonging that made it special. When our city begins to feel like it has a giant “for sale” sign on it, allowing the highest bidder to build bigger without fully addressing the needs of the people who live and work here every day, we lose sight of who government is supposed to serve.
I am running to help change that paradigm by working alongside St. Petersburg’s 3,800 employees and residents to recreate a city where everyone feels valued, heard, and included in its future. I believe we can grow without leaving people behind, preserve what makes our city unique, and make decisions that reflect the needs of neighborhoods, families, workers, seniors, and small businesses—not just those with the most money or influence.
In your own words, what differentiates you from your opponents?
One of Harvard Kennedy School’s leading scholars has argued that politicians and public managers have different primary responsibilities: elected officials decide what government should do, while public managers determine how government can accomplish those priorities efficiently, legally, and ethically. That distinction matters in St. Petersburg. In 1993, voters chose to move from a weak-mayor form of government to a strong-mayor system, where the mayor serves as the city’s chief executive officer. My background is uniquely aligned with that responsibility.
Earning my Certified Public Manager credential from Florida State University has prepared me with competencies in performance management, policy development, and public accountability. I strengthened that foundation through executive leadership programs with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Executive Institute, the National Jail Leadership Command Academy, and the Public Safety Leadership Academy. Combined with my master’s degree in public administration and extensive leadership experiences within the public sector and not-for-profits, these credentials have prepared me to lead on day one.
Explain what you see as the most important issue facing our community and how you are uniquely qualified to address that issue?
St. Petersburg faces serious affordability challenges, often compounded by programs and operations that lack clear accountability. Over more than forty years in public and nonprofit service, I have seen how politics can overshadow the needs of the people. As a certified Florida Public Manager with experience across diverse public systems, nonprofit leadership, public safety, and community service, I understand how complex government decisions affect people’s daily lives. That experience has prepared me to bring a practical, accountable, and people-centered approach to city leadership. I believe I can make a meaningful difference by ensuring that public resources are managed responsibly, policies are measured by results, and the needs of residents remain at the center of every decision.
Hotel owner and beach bar owner accused of placing mothballs on St. Pete Beach
Florida Fish and Wildlife said it arrested a hotel owner and bar owner accused of placing over 1,000 mothballs on St. Pete Beach.
