St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch has long considered former state Rep. Ben Diamond a friend. A recent survey has, at best, strained their relationship.
Diamond’s voter opinion poll was critical of Welch’s response to an unprecedented hurricane season, and highlights how the 2026 election could feature a white candidate running against the city’s first Black mayor. The Catalyst received screenshots of some questions Thursday afternoon; Diamond confirmed the following day that he was behind the survey.
Welch responded to the potential challenge in an interview Monday. “I was surprised,” he said.
“I’ve supported Ben’s (Diamond’s) elections, and he has supported mine,” Welch continued. “But I’ll add that fewer things in politics surprise me these days. So, it’s just kind of par for the course.”
Welch and Diamond are both Democrats, and political parties typically discourage candidates from primarying incumbents. When asked why he thought the poll would state he is “a Black man” and Diamond is “a white man,” Welch deferred and said he plans to “run on my record and what we’ve been able to achieve through unprecedented challenges.”
In a prepared statement, Diamond noted he and his wife, Christina, “have long been involved in the civic life of our city, which we love.” Christina is a former political consultant and CEO of Ruth’s List Florida, an organization that advocates for Democratic, pro-choice women to serve in statewide offices.
“I have been encouraged to run for Mayor, and this poll is part of my broader effort to learn more about what’s on the minds of the residents in our city,” Diamond said. “I care deeply about our city’s future, but I’m still in the fact-finding stage and some months away from deciding whether the time is right for me and my family to seek to return to elected office.”
The survey states that Welch “fumbled the ball on hurricane recovery.” It then mentions concerns regarding his response to Hurricanes Ian, Helene and Debby.
The poll notes that Welch spent the night at his home during Ian, while other officials slept at the emergency operations center. He said the “threat had passed.” The storm ultimately made landfall near Fort Myers.
“I can make the decision on whether to stay the night – as I did with Milton and Helene,” Welch added. “I think it’s a non-issue. They want to dictate where I am and how I go about the job.”
The same question went on to remind voters that some residents began referring to storm debris as “Welch piles.” The survey asked respondents if hurricane-related critiques are “very serious,” “serious,” “minor” or “no real” concern,” or if they “don’t know.”
The term “Welch piles” seemingly originated in flood-prone Shore Acres, St. Petersburg’s lowest-lying neighborhood. However, former Councilmember Ed Montanari and current Councilmember Mike Harting, the area’s representatives, have not publicly criticized the city’s storm response.
Back-to-back hurricanes affected every district and left enough debris – 2.1 million cubic yards, collected in 90 days – to fill the Residences at 400 Central, St. Petersburg’s tallest building, and the surrounding city block, twice. “I’m there with the folks on the ground dealing with the emergency, and we’ll make the right decisions,” Welch said.
Welch endured negative campaigning in the 2021 mayoral race and won in a landslide. Welch has noted that Council Chair Copley Gerdes ran unopposed and Councilmember Deborah Figgs-Sander secured one of the widest victory margins on record.
The poll was not entirely negative. After highlighting Welch and Diamond’s race, it stated that the mayor has “worked to make the city a better place to live by delivering affordable housing,” bolstered public safety “by investing in youth programs and resources for our fire and police departments, and by leading the city in recovery from last year’s storms.”
The survey said Diamond, who served in the Florida House from 2016 to 2022, “worked across the aisle to find bipartisan solutions for working families” and would “work to combat local flooding, invest in infrastructure and fight crime to make St. Petersburg safer.”
Diamond owns a law firm in downtown St. Petersburg. He suspended his congressional campaign in May 2022 after the governor gerrymandered him out of his district.
Welch, who has yet to file for the 2026 mayoral race, has repeatedly stated his intention to remain in office. “Where else would you rather be than leading your hometown through a challenging time?” he said in May.
While any potential opposition is speculative, the poll asked if residents would vote for Diamond or Welch, or if they are still undecided. Welch said Monday that he awaits the qualifying period to “actually know who is going to be in the race.”
“You never know where the hits are going to come from – but we’re ready,” Welch added. “We’re ready to rock and roll.”
When asked if he and Diamond could salvage their friendship, Welch said that “based on that survey, I’d have to question what kind of friendship that actually was.”
“But never say never,” he concluded.
This content provided in partnership with StPeteCatalyst.com.
