The Brief St. Petersburg mayoral election candidate Charlie Crist has taken a 31% to 17% polling lead over incumbent Mayor Ken Welch. Both candidates expect the six-way primary race to head to a Nov. 3 runoff election if no candidate captures over 50% of the vote. Charlie Crist currently holds a 31% to 17% lead over incumbent Mayor Ken Welch in a six-way race. Pictured: St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch. Primary election runoff outlookWhat's next:With six candidates on the primary ballot, both Crist and Welch anticipate the race will move to a runoff.