Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 10.26.26
St. Pete Polls has former Gov. Charlie Crist ahead of incumbent Ken Welch in the St. Petersburg Mayor’s race, and the voters who have already cast ballots are breaking harder for Crist than the ones who haven’t. Forty-two percent of likely voters say they have already voted. Crist leads them 60%-34%. Among the 58% still planning to vote, Welch is at 30%, with Crist at 45% and a quarter undecided. Asked whom they support, 51% pick Crist and 32% pick Welch, with 17% undecided. Add in leaners and Crist rises to 54%, Welch to 34%, and the undecided pool shrinks to 12%. Give Welch every undecided voter, and he finishes at 46%. Welch knows that 34%. A Tampa Bay Times review found he swiped into City Hall on 34% of workdays during his first eight months as Mayor, and his job approval rating was 34%—underwater—in June. Crist is even with Welch among Democrats, 46%-45%, and takes Republicans…
