Charlie Crist

Economy
Crist has made affordability his central message, arguing that city hall should focus on bringing costs down rather than adding new spending. On housing specifically, he has proposed speeding up permitting for new construction, using city-owned land to support affordable development, and shielding longtime residents from being priced out of their neighborhoods as the city grows, pledging to act as what he calls "an honest broker" between developers and neighborhoods. He has also argued that the mayor's office should take a more direct hand in courting and retaining local businesses.

Infrastructure
Two infrastructure-adjacent issues dominate Crist's public remarks: storm recovery and the fate of Tropicana Field. On hurricanes, he argues the city can do better at both preparing for and rebuilding after major storms than it has so far. On the Tampa Bay Rays, whose stadium sits on city land and whose future in St. Petersburg has been in doubt, Crist argues that losing the team would mark a failure of mayoral leadership and points out that, unlike Tampa, St. Petersburg already has a ballpark in place, telling one interviewer, "We have a stadium. Tampa doesn't yet."

Education
Crist's education message is broader philosophy than detailed program so far, framing schooling and youth opportunity as the surest route to the city's long-term economic success, though his campaign has released comparatively few specifics on city-level programs compared with his opponent's existing youth initiatives.

Immigration
On St. Petersburg police's 287(g) immigration-enforcement agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Crist has said he believed the police chief "probably did the right thing" in signing it.

Governance
Crist frames better communication between city hall and residents as a governing priority, saying he wants every resident to be able to tap into the services local government already provides. He has also said he would look for budget efficiencies that would allow a reduction in the city's property-tax rate without cutting police or fire service, and has said he intends to review city operations closely before taking office if elected, drawing on his prior experience leading a state government as governor and attorney general.