Rick Kriseman has won re-election in the race for Mayor of St. Petersburg, according to unofficial results from the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections.
The epic battle for office came down to the wire between former mayor Rick Baker and Kriseman.
Kriseman: 51.62%
Baker: 48.38%
Unofficial results show Kriseman received 34,155 votes (51.62%) and Rick Baker received 32,017 votes (48.38%).
On Tuesday, Baker conceded to Kriseman and said he he would always be St. Pete's biggest supporter. We spoke to Baker shortly after his concession speech.
"I'm proud of our campaign and the support we had. The group that came forward to support us were people that cared deeply for our city," said Baker.
"I'm so proud to be your mayor," Kriseman said during a victory speech Tuesday night. "There is no better people than right here in St Petersburg. We embrace light and love here."
Kriseman told Action News he hopes to continue to focus on growth in target industries like marine and life sciences, manufacturing, financial services, data analytics and creative arts and design.
"Thank you for giving me four more years to serve you," Kriseman added. "It is the opportunity and honor of a lifetime and I promise I will make the most of it."
Kriseman says as Mayor he pushed for a new police station and pier. He said he'll make sure those projects stay on budget and on time.
"When this thing is built, I think they're going to utilize it in ways they never utilized the old pier," said Kriseman.
Watch Kriseman's full victory speech below:
— Rick Kriseman (@Kriseman) November 8, 2017
