Photo by Cathy Salustri
On the 11th day of Women’s History Month, after a long, hard-fought local election season full of forums, food, and Facebook, Gulfport’s electorate elected the city’s first all-female city council.
Marlene Shaw will serve as Gulfport’s Ward II council member. She won with 59.84% of the vote above Christine Brown’s 28.47% and Byron Chalfont’s 11.70%.
Polls closed at 7 p.m., and at 7:03 p.m., with 980 early votes for mayor and 977 for Ward II came in on the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections (SOE) website: still too close to call.
Some 15 minutes later, 100% of the precincts reported unofficial election results.
The voters have spoken: They want change.
Ward II City Council Member Marlene Shaw
Marlene Shaw will serve as Gulfport’s Ward II city council member. She won with a larger part of the electorate than her two opponents combined. She had the most donors, the largest war chest, and a healthy canvassing apparatus. All those things served her well.
When the unofficial results hit 100% reporting, she knew she’d won. Her first thoughts were with the voters.
“What I’d like to do is say thank you to everybody and make some phone calls,” Shaw said.
When she gave a victory speech, her opening line echoed her campaign signage: “New day, new way,” she said. “I said at the start of this, I wouldn’t do it alone, and I could not do it alone. This is your win.”
Of Love’s victory, Shaw told supporters this was only the second time Gulfport will have a female mayor, and the first time the whole city council would be female. To this a donor, Lenny Guckenheimer, responded by starting a chant in the audience.
“Clean sweep! Clean sweep!” the crowd eventually said in unison.
Shaw’s campaign staff and even the candidate used the words “us” and “we” when talking about victory. It was hard to interview Marlene some five minutes after the results, as she was frequently interrupted by embraces from well-wishers.
Because the Gulfport Recreation Center is closed due to storm damage, both Ward I and Ward II voted at Gulfport City Hall; in the same chambers where the elected council will serve. 2,597 Gulfportians voted for mayor, and 2,582 voted for Ward II.
These were the 2025 Gulfport Ward II Election Results. Here are the results for the Gulfport’s mayoral race, and the South Pinellas election results.
Image by The Gabber Newspaper
Tides of Change: Words from Outgoing Council Members
Outgoing Ward II Council member Christine Brown took a few moments to speak with The Gabber Newspaper Tuesday night.
“I feel confident that I worked hard and that I have a lot to hold my head up for. For 12 years of great work. I’m, you know, let me see… How can I say this? I’m, you know, wondering what the future will hold for our city,” she said. “I’m a little scared that there will be four zero-experienced people on the dais at a time when things are hard,” she said. “But you know, I’ve done my part. I did a great job for 12 years. I’m proud of that.”
Shaw did work for the City of Gulfport from 1999-2004, when the City eliminated her position.
“Thanks for 12 years of support, and letting me take care of your city,” Brown said.
Brown told The Gabber Newspaper that she had no plans to call Shaw that evening.
Ward I Council Member April Thanos celebrated with the crowd at Shaw’s watch party.
“I’m pretty happy!” she said. She said that there are a lot of things she’s been waiting to bring to council that she can start working on, including “the amount of permeable land you can have on a lot, ADUs [Accessory Dwelling Units], changing some zoning, some environmental reports, and looking at our budget,” she said. She said she’s held on to these issues without bringing them up because “The other council people won’t discuss them.”
From the Voters
Ward I and II residents took to Gulfport’s City Hall to exercise their rights to vote in Gulfport’s 2025 municipal election. Here is what voters had to say on their way in and out of the building.
“That’s the only way to have a voice.” said Amy Broucek while leaving City Hall.
“I have strong opinions on who I want to run our city,” Dave Muczynski said.
“I like to exercise my right to vote,” said Ward I resident Geoffrey Donahoe. Donahoe said he is new to Gulfport and wanted to be involved in.
“We need someone to take care of us, I’ve lost two homes 100%,” Lisa Kauffman said about why she voted today.
“Local government is going to regulate what will happen during the next storm, and there will be a next storm,” said Judi Scully on her way to vote.
The Gabber Newspaper? We Go There
In 1968, our founder, George Brann, started The Gabber Newspaper, then called the Gulfport Gabber, to hold Gulfport City Council accountable. Read more of our city council coverage, and learn about our policies on reporting, fact-checking, and funding.
