Statements
Florida Democratic Party Chair Congratulates the Winners of the Nov. 2, 2021 Elections
After a night that saw the election of Ken Welch, the first Black mayor in St. Petersburg’s history and the election of Lisset Hanewicz, the first Latina to the St. Petersburg City Council, Florida Democratic Party Chairman Manny Diaz issued the following statement congratulating them and other winners of the Nov. 2 elections:
“A big congratulation is in order to all the Democratic winners from last night’s elections, who proved their vision right. These are the people who will bring prosperity to our communities, and whose policies will create jobs and improve education for our children. Floridians want leaders who will support education, as we saw in Manatee County’s education referendum, make our communities safe and put forward solutions for issues such as our affordable housing crisis.
“These victories show we have a talented pool of local officials who can articulate Democratic values and policies at the local level, such as advocating for our individual freedoms, the freedom to live in a safe neighborhood and the freedom of economic mobility. America and Florida depend on local officials who know their communities well and can identify their needs and the issue most important to them.
“I’m confident that through the leadership of these well-qualified public servants we will see our cities, our neighborhoods, and our families prosper and become safer. I congratulate them once more for a job well done and look forward to electing more good Democrats like them who will work for the well-being of Floridians of all backgrounds.”
Nov. 2 Election Winners
Miami Beach
- Mayor Dan Gelber, incumbent
- Christine King, Commissioner District 5
St. Petersburg
- Ken Welch, Mayor St. Petersburg
- Copley Gerdes, City Council Seat 1
- Lisset Hanewicz, City Council Seat 4
- Gina Driscoll, City Council Seat 6
- Richie Floyd, City Council Seat 8
Orlando
- Robert Stuart, Commissioner District 3
- Regina Hill, Commissioner District 5