Daily Loaf

Steve Kornell with Democratic Committeewoman Linda Lucas at Shackleton's.

It was a mixed bag for gay voters last night. The vote to preserve marriage equality came up short in Maine, but great strides were made in local elections — including St. Petersburg’s City Council race.

Steve Kornell, one of the most impressive candidates in any local race this season, won his St. Pete council seat by a surprisingly large margin — 59.46% to 40.54% — over his opponent, Angela Rouson. He is the first openly gay person in the history of the city to be elected to public office. Like Kevin Beckner, the first openly gay Hillsborough County Commissioner, Kornell brought qualities to his candidacy that transcended issues of sexual orientation: strong community involvement, great campaign preparation, specific ideas and a sharp mind. His election, like Beckner’s, is a heartening sign of progress — even though St. Pete voters elected a new mayor who, like Rick Baker, refuses to march in gay pride parades. (Bill Foster was making sympathetic noises about domestic partnership benefits toward the end of his campaign, though, so there may be some hope there.)

Kornell was not the only LGBT candidate making history last night. Read the rest of this entry »

Election Night, 7:45 p.m.: With almost all precincts reporting, Bill Foster is maintaining a 6 percent lead over Kathleen Ford in the race to succeed Rick Baker as mayor of St. Petersburg. In the race for City Council, Steve Kornell, Leslie Curran, Jeff Danner and Karl Nurse look like sure winners; Jim Kennedy’s race with Steve Corsetti is a little bit closer but Kennedy’s chances look good.

Updates to come.

It’s 8:04, and the race for mayor is already over. Kathleen Ford is giving her concession speech. “We are going to continue to keep an eye on our government to make sure it’s open, accessible… and affordable,” she promised. Later, according to Bay News 9, she said her biggest problem was “the media.”

“Read into that what you will,” said anchor Al Ruechel.

CL’s Mitch Perry spoke briefly with Ford at around 8:30; she appeared to be working hard to maintain a cheerful countenance. When asked her thoughts, she said, “I’m really pleased with myself. I’m excited. We made a difference in this race.”  Asked if she thought the St. Pete Times editorial page had been too harsh on her, and  whether she cared about that, she answered, “Not much.” As to whether the newspaper’s treatment had any impact on the election, she answered,  “Who knows?”

At Ferg’s on Central Avenue, Bill Foster was magnanimous in victory. Asked his thoughts on his opponent, he told Perry, “I’m crazy about her. She’s a friend. She ran a great race. She’s got some great ideas — great passion. I need her.”

Foster said he was excited, but also seemed exhausted. “This process beats you to death,” he said. “But when you survive it you know you’ve earned it.” He also acknowledged the 47 percent of the public who did not vote for him. He said, “It’s time to gain their trust. And I’ll earn it. We’ll come together.”

He won plaudits tonight not only for his victory but for his slimmer appearance. CL overheard him telling a supporter that he had lost 25 pounds during the campaign.

Polls have been closed for just under an hour, but the results are already looking pretty conclusive. The top vote-getters in the mayoral race are Bill Foster at 26.97%, Kathleen Ford at 25.87%, Deveron Gibbons at 19.51% and Scott Wagman at 15.03%. With 92 percent of precincts reporting, it looks like Ford and Foster will hold on to the two top spots; if this election is any indication, the general is going to be close.

In City Council races, the three top vote-getters are Karl Nurse in District 6, Leslie Curran in District 4 and Steve Kornell in District 5.

UPDATE 8:45 PM: With 95% of precincts reporting, it’s still Foster and Ford, at 27.05% and 25.72% respectively.

UPDATE 9 p.m.: Bill Foster and Kathleen Ford have declared victory. See you in November.