Miami, St. Petersburg elect new mayors
In Miami, a Havana-born commissioner and former television reporter was elected mayor with a wide margin Tuesday, while St. Petersburg picked a lawyer who had the support of the city business and political establishment.
In Miami, with all of the precincts reporting, unofficial results showed Tomas Regalado had nearly 72 percent and Joe Sanchez had just over 28 percent.
“We’re going to recover our city and the confidence of our residents,” Regalado said, according to The Miami Herald. “And we will do it by not wasting money.”
Sanchez said he called Regalado to concede, but spoke with his chief of staff.
“The voters in the city of Miami have exercised their democratic process … I certainly respect that we live in great country and I wish him the best,” Sanchez said. “There comes a time in everybody’s career where the sun rises and sets. It set for me tonight, but it’s not the end of my political career.”
In St. Petersburg, with all precincts reporting, unofficial results showed Bill Foster with more than 52 percent of the votes and Kathleen Ford with just over 47 percent. Foster and Ford are both lawyers and former city commissioners. They were vying to replace popular Mayor Rick Baker, who was also limited to two four-year terms.
“Steady progress wins the day,” Foster said, according to the St. Petersburg Times. “Radical change is something we’ve not been receptive to.”
Ford said she called 46-year-old Foster about 8 p.m. to concede the election and thank him.
“I’m sad, a little disappointed with the outcome, but extremely thrilled with the amount of volunteer support and financial support in these tough economic times,” the newspaper quoted Ford as saying.
The Miami candidates are both city commissioners. They were vying to replace outgoing mayor Manny Diaz, who has served two four-year terms and can’t run again.
Regalado, 62, was born in Havana and came to Miami with his younger brother in the so-called “Pedro Pan Flights” of the early 1960s. A former television reporter, Regalado was first elected as a city commissioner in 1996.
Sanchez, a Cuban-born former state trooper, was appointed to his commission seat in June 1998 and has since been elected to two four-year terms. He is now the commission chairman.
Regalado had said he will focus on growth and economic development, but added that any major city-financed projects should be placed before the voters.
In St. Petersburg, Ford, 52, developed a grass-roots campaign built on volunteers and sharp criticism of the status quo and what she said is a political good ol’ boy network in Florida’s fourth-largest city. She has been an outspoken critic of Baker’s administration and challenged him unsuccessfully for mayor in 2001. She served on the city council from 1997 to 2001.