Shore Acres neighborhood association President Kevin Batdorf set to join St. Pete mayoral contest

The St. Petersburg mayoral race grew more crowded with Shore Acres Neighborhood Association President Kevin Batdorf stepping into the fray, positioning himself as a sharp critic of City Hall leadership.

Batdorf argues the city needs a change in direction on infrastructure, transparency and growth management after years under the leadership of Mayor Ken Welch, who is running for re-election. He is also critical of City Council member Brandi Gabbard – who has announced her own bid to challenge Welch – as well as former Gov. Charlie Crist, who has publicly floated a run but has not formally entered the race –  although his PAC has already reported a substantial haul to support a campaign. Perennial candidates Maria Scruggs filed to run in August and Paul Congemi filed to run on Monday.

Batdorf said Welch and Gabbard have both played roles in recent city decisions he views as failures, arguing voters deserve an alternative not tied to City Hall leadership during that period. He said Crist “has name recognition, I don’t know much else at this point.”

Batdorf, a St. Petersburg native and longtime real estate broker, said he plans to formally file for the race later this month or in early March and will begin collecting the required voter signatures to qualify for the ballot. He has not yet appointed a campaign treasurer or opened a campaign account and is working to line those details up before formally filing.

“This administration is probably the worst that the city’s ever had,” Batdorf said. “They failed at so many different things, not just the Rays, but hurricane response, cleanup, infrastructure issues.” 

A graduate of Gibbs High School in 1979, Batdorf has worked as a real estate broker since 1993. He said he began working at age 16, including time spent shucking oysters at a local restaurant, and later co-owned a watch company called Suntime Novelties.

Batdorf told Florida Politics he is frustrated with the current administration’s handling of major city issues, including hurricane response, infrastructure conditions and the failed Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal. He said Gabbard was right to question how the city is handling the future of the Rays’ former Tropicana Field site in the Historic Gas Plant District, but argued she has also been “part of the problem” as a member of City Council during the same period of decision-making. The Rays are currently negotiating with Tampa stakeholders to relocate out of St. Pete.

If elected, Batdorf said his top priorities would include improving transparency in city government, overhauling the city’s permitting system and addressing aging infrastructure. He called for “smart growth” policies, saying new development has not been properly managed and has worsened drainage and sewer problems across the city.

Batdorf said his criticisms extend beyond the stadium deal. He’s concerned about how City Hall functions, particularly when it comes to permitting, storm response and long-term planning. He argued the city’s permitting system is inefficient and unfriendly to residents and businesses, and should be modernized to better coordinate with outside agencies during emergencies. He also pointed to the city’s response to recent hurricanes as an example of what he described as a reactive approach to governing, saying better preparation and coordination could have reduced post-storm backlogs.

Private property rights remain important to him as a real estate professional, but Batdorf said his primary motivation to run for office is ensuring residents across the city have equal access to opportunity and a government that is responsive to their concerns.

“I’m doing this for my heart and for the people of St. Pete,” Batdorf said. “I believe we deserve better. I believe I can provide what we need.”