Incumbent St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch and former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist will meet in a November runoff after finishing first and second in Tuesday's mayoral primary.

With preliminary results in, Crist led the six-candidate field with 36 percent of the vote while Welch received 21 percent, according to Florida Politics. Neither reached the 50 percent threshold required to win outright, triggering the Nov. 3 general election between the top two finishers.

Former St. Petersburg Fire Chief Jim Large placed third with 18 percent, followed closely by City Council member Brandi Gabbard at 17 percent. The remaining candidates, Maria Scruggs and Kevin Batdorf, each received single-digit support.

Crist, a St. Petersburg native who served as governor from 2007 to 2011 and later represented the area in Congress, centered his campaign on affordability, education, economic development and hurricane recovery. He raised more than $2 million for the race.

Welch, who took office in 2022 as the city's first Black mayor, focused on housing and public safety. His campaign faced headwinds including slower fundraising, campaign finance reporting issues and the loss of several past supporters. Crist held a cash-on-hand advantage of more than $366,000 to Welch's under $56,000 as of mid-August.

Voters cited dissatisfaction with the city's response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024 as a factor in the race. Multiple candidates positioned their bids as a referendum on Welch's first term.

The runoff will decide who leads the city for the next four years beginning in January 2027.