Gulfport City Council

Mayor, Council Members Sworn Into Office

Gulfport residents packed council chambers Tuesday night as Mayor Henderson and Councilors Christine Brown and Michael Fridovich were sworn into office.

Every seat in the room was taken during last night's council meeting, as residents welcomed a new mayor and new councilors. New Council Member for Ward Two, Christine Brown was sworn in first with her daughter, Elizabeth Brown Worthington, holding the family's 65-year-old Bible. Michael Fridovich, Councilor for District Four, was sworn in second. Lastly, former Vice Mayor Sam Henderson was sworn in as Gulfport Mayor. Friends and supporters stood up and applauded Henderson. "I look forward to us all working together," Henderson said. “I’m very excited, I’ve worked very hard for many years to get up here,” Christine Brown said. “I want you to please except me as your council representative. I want you to give me a chance to show you what I …

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Gulfport City Council

New Mayor, Council Members to be Sworn In

Sam Henderson, Christine Brown and Michael Fridovich will be sworn into office tonight at Gulfport City Hall. Everyone is invited!

Tuesday, March 19 will be Sam Henderson's first meeting as Gulfport Mayor. He, along with Christine Brown and Michael Fridovich will be sworn into office by Clerk Lesley DeMuth during the council meeting. On Tuesday, March 12, Henderson captured 64 percent of the vote for Gulfport Mayor, according to unofficial results from the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Office. Christine Brown ran unopposed for the Ward 2 council seat, and Michael Fridovich ran unopposed for the Ward 4 council seat. The public is encouraged to attend the meeting which begins at 7 p.m. at Gulfport City Hall. Sign up for the Gulfport Patch email newsletter to stay connected to your community.

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Gulfport City Council

Sam Henderson: 'Excited, Grateful, Thankful' to be Gulfport's Next Mayor

Sam Henderson's friends, family members and supporters celebrated his victory with cheers, hand shakes and hugs Tuesday night. Henderson captured 64 percent of the vote for mayor, according to unofficial results.

With friends, family members and supporters by his side, Sam Henderson celebrated a win over opponent Bob Worthington at his home Tuesday night. Henderson received 64.34 percent of the vote with Worthington collecting 35.66 for the council's highest seat, according to unofficial results from the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Office. "I feel very excited and unbelievably thankful," Henderson said. A total of 1,752 people voted for Henderson, with 971 voting for Worthington, according to the unofficial results. Henderson, 41, received 980 absentee/mail ballots and 772 at the polls. Worthington, 65, received 597 absentee/mail ballots and 374 at the polls. Henderson credited supporters and campaign volunteers for working tirelessly …

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Gulfport City Council

Voters Choose Sam Henderson for Gulfport Mayor

Sam Henderson captured 64 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Office.

On Tuesday, March 12, Gulfport voters headed to the polls and cast their ballots for the council's highest seat. As of 7:20 p.m. Tuesday night, seven of the seven polling precincts in Gulfport revealed Sam Henderson captured 64.34 percent of the votes; Bob Worthington brought in 35.66 percent. According to the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections unofficial results, a total of 2,723 residents voted.  A total of 1,752 people voted for Henderson, with 971 voting for Worthington. Henderson, 41, received 980 absentee/mail ballots and 772 at the polls. Worthington, 65, received 597 absentee/mail ballots and 374 at the polls. Henderson will be sworn in as mayor along with council members Christine Brown and Michael Fridovich on Tuesday, March…

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$26,000 in Campaign Contributions for Henderson, Worthington

Gulfport residents, business owners and politicians donate more than $26,000 to Sam Henderson and Bob Worthington's campaigns.

Combined, Gulfport Mayoral Candidates Sam Henderson and Bob Worthington received more than $26,000 in less than 3 months, according to documents released by the City of Gulfport. Vice Mayor Sam Henderson leads by just a $1,000 ahead of former councilor Bob Worthington in donations. As of Friday, March 8, Henderson received $13,230 with Worthington receiving $12,850 during the same time period. Henderson spent $11,587, as of March 8, for campaign signs, handouts, cards and voter data from the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Office. Worthington spent $12,289.88 on similar campaign materials including postcards and Facebook advertisements, according to documents provided by the city. Here is a list of contributions for Bob Worthington…

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Candidate Question of the Week

Gulfport Mayoral Candidate Asks For Your Vote

As part of our coverage of the Gulfport City Elections this March, we are asking both Gulfport Mayor Candidates a "Question of the Week." Below is the last question of the week.

Welcome to our weekly series, "Candidate Question of the Week," on Gulfport Patch. We will be asking Sam Henderson, current Vice Mayor, and Bob Worthington, former City Councilor, a question each week until the City Elections on Tuesday, March 12, 2013. Both men are vying for your votes for Gulfport Mayor. This is our final question of the week. Q: #7 "Why should voters choose you for Gulfport Mayor?" Sam Henderson "The voters of Gulfport should elect me as their next mayor because they continue to deserve the following: 1) meetings that are run efficiently and fairly, 2) the assurance that respectful public comment at meetings will always remain in place, 3) agendas designed to prioritize the issues we face as a city, 4) a mayor who is …

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Cherlene Willis

10:41 am on Monday, March 11, 2013

Good Morning Bill, After numerous attempts to contact Bob Worthington and his Campaign Manager Gina Burke - I still hadn't received a response as of 2:45 p.m. Sunday, (seven days after I sent both candidates my question.) In an effort to present information to our readers, we allowed Bob Worthington to answer the question late and received it Sunday night, several hours after the other candidate'…   more ›

Henderson Distancing Worthington in Campaign Contributions

Vice Mayor Sam Henderson appears to have more financial backing for his campaign than opponent and former councilor Bob Worthington.

Documents released by the City of Gulfport show that Sam Henderson leads his opponent, Bob Worthington, in campaign contributions. Per the state of Florida's Division of Elections, Henderson received $7,885 as of Friday, Feb. 8. During the same time period, Worthington received $6,675 in campaign contributions. As of Feb. 8, Henderson spent $1,957.13 for campaign signs, handouts, cards and voter data from the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Office. Worthington spent $4,877.30 on similar campaign materials including postcards and Facebook advertisements, according to documents provided by the city. Here is a list of contributions for Sam Henderson as of Friday, Feb. 8, 2013: $1,000: Pinellas County Democratic Executive Committee, …

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Candidate Question of the Week

Gulfport Mayoral Candidates Weigh in on Multi-Cultural Programs

As part of our coverage of the Gulfport City Elections this March, we are asking both Gulfport Mayor Candidates a "Question of the Week." Below is each candidate's answer to our fifth question.

Welcome to our weekly series, "Candidate Question of the Week," on Gulfport Patch. We will be asking Sam Henderson, current Vice Mayor, and Bob Worthington, former City Councilor, a question each week until the City Elections on Tuesday, March 12, 2013. Both men are vying for your votes for Gulfport Mayor. Below are their responses to our third question of the week. This question was added in the comment section below a previous "Question of the Week" by a Gulfport reader. Q #5: "What would the candidates do to encourage a more integrated approach to activities in the community focusing on inter-generational and multi-cultural programming?" Bob Worthington "As Mayor, I would work with public/private sector as well as other local, county, …

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Mayoral Candidates Talk Human Rights Ordinance, Abandoned Homes, Mooring Field

Mayoral Candidates Bob Worthington and Sam Henderson answered questions concerning the Human Rights Ordinance, abandoned homes in Gulfport and plans for a mooring field in the bay at the city-sponsored forum.

Audience members asked Mayoral Candidates Sam Henderson and Bob Worthington several questions during the city-sponsored "Meet the Candidates" forum Tuesday night at Gulfport City Hall. Below are just a couple of questions pulled from the evening with excerpts from both candidates’ answers. Human Rights Ordinance Q: Do you believe that our local Boy Scout troop must abide by our human rights ordinance?   Sam Henderson: “Absolutely, I very much disagree with the National Boy Scouts of America’s national policy on allowing gay people to participate in the scouting program. What I feel we have right now is an excellent opportunity. We have in our pack 300. We have a pack that’s going to be a model pack. And they’re going to say we’re going to …

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