Retired St. Petersburg police commanders Cedric Gordon and Al White announced their support for former Governor Charlie Crist in his campaign for mayor of the city. Gordon and White each spent more than three decades with the department, rising to assistant chief and sergeant respectively, and retired together in 2013 after being hired in 1980 by then-Chief Goliath Davis. The Tampa Bay Times had previously described them as the most influential public safety figures in the city's Black community, noting that activists and leaders turned to them for guidance on crime and policing matters. Upon their retirement, former NAACP president Manuel Sykes called them bright spots in a department with limited Black leadership. Crist said their endorsement meant a great deal, citing their decades of service and community standing. Both men had also been part of former Mayor Rick Baker's political circle, helping the White Republican build strong ties with Black residents despite ideological differences. Their backing arrives as Crist challenges incumbent Ken Welch, the city's first Black mayor. Recent polling shows Crist gaining ground among Black voters, with a post-primary survey indicating a one-point lead over Welch among that demographic, a shift from a 26-point deficit earlier in the year. The poll, which has a margin of error of 4.3 points overall and higher for the Black subsample, reflects a 27-point swing toward Crist. Welch's approval rating has fallen to 24 percent, with 49 percent disapproving, down from a net-positive rating earlier in the year. His campaign reported less than $25,000 on hand across two accounts, while Crist's committee held nearly $383,000 as of the latest filings.