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Williams battles to narrow win

By ALEX LEARY, CARRIE JOHNSON, ANESSA DE LA TORRE and JON WILSON
Published November 9, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG - In a dramatic finish to the hardest-fought City Council race in recent history, Earnest Williams defeated Darden Rice on Tuesday while a fellow incumbent was removed from office.

Virginia Littrell's loss to Leslie Curran ended her four-year residency at City Hall, while John Bryan earned a second term by defeating lawyer Eve Joy. In the fourth contest, Jeff Danner beat Jamie Mayo.

For much of the evening, Williams and Rice traded the lead. But as the south St. Petersburg numbers came in, Williams took command, ending with 53 percent of the vote.

"Sometimes, you need a tough race," Williams told about 60 supporters at the Royal Theater. "It determines what mettle you're made of. And you find out who's in your corner."

Rice, the niece of state Rep. Everett Rice, R-Treasure Island, pulled off a surprising win in the primary, besting Williams by 19 votes. Buoyed by the success, she charged toward the general election with a team of more than 150 volunteers.

At a gathering at Ferg's Sports Bar on Central Avenue, Rice, 35, told supporters they had run a remarkable race. "Although we didn't get the result we hoped for, we certainly turned heads and we really have changed perceptions," she said.

Williams, 58, who owns an insurance agency, was boosted by several recent successes in Midtown, including the opening of a new post office and a Sweetbay Supermarket.

"I knew if people would come out, we'd win," Williams said.

The District 4 contest provided some flash, too, but for the opposite reason. Curran, a former council member, out-polled incumbent Littrell by nearly 7,600 votes, beating her 63 percent to 37 percent.

"When I go out to do something, I do it in a big way," Curran said.

Absent a major divide on issues, the race came down to a contest of personality. Curran, 49, portrayed her opponent as abrasive and ineffective, while Littrell, 55, said it only meant she was unafraid to ask tough questions.

Littrell could not be reached Tuesday night.

Bryan sweated out the race for District 2, fearing a strong showing for mayoral candidate Ed Helm could aid his opponent. But Bryan easily defeated Joy, benefiting from his strong ties to Baker, his record of public projects such as dog parks and a sizable campaign fund.

"I had a track record," Bryan said afterward. "And I'm excited people are sending me back to continue the work I've done." First up, he said: establishing public dockage for boats downtown.

District 8 winner Danner credited his victory to a quick campaign start and vigorous volunteer effort. A city Planning Board member, Danner, 45, said he will focus on redeveloping historic neighborhoods.

He also wants to update the appearance of the Central Plaza area.

Mayo, Danner's opponent, sounded satisfied: "We got out to the very best of our ability, we knocked on doors, we said hello to people."

[Last modified November 9, 2005, 00:41:02]