St. Petersburg, FL., held their elections for city mayor and council members beginning in the beginning of November. The polls close at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Many council members elected broke tradition and established new firsts for the city. 

The two candidates for mayor were Ken Welch, a former Pinellas County commissioner, and city councilman and Robert Blackmon. Welch, with 40,555 votes, defeated Blackmon. Ken Welch is now St. Petersburg’s first African American mayor. 

After winning the Discrit 4 race against former prosecutor Tom Mullins, Lisset Hanewiez became the first Hispanic member on Saint Petersburg’s council. Hanewicz will replace Darden Rice’s district. 

“Hanewicz, 50, will replace Council member Darden Rice in District 4, an east-central district that covers an area from Interstate 275 to the coast from Ninth Avenue North to 30th Avenue North, then runs east from Interstate 275 until about 77th Avenue North,” Tampa Bay Times said.