Pensacola mayoral forum recap: Who will be the next Pensacola mayor?

A little more than three weeks are left before Pensacola city residents will go to the polls and select the next mayor of Pensacola.

The mayor's race kicked off last year when Mayor Grover Robinson unexpectedly announced he would not seek a second term in office. Former Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan was the first to throw his hat in the ring, but Morgan withdrew in October citing family health issues.

After qualifying ended in June, four candidates are competing to become the third "strong mayor" under the city's 2010 charter.

Hear from the candidates: Who will become the next mayor? News Journal to host public forum. Meet the candidates here

Former Councilwoman Jewel Cannada-Wynn is hoping voters will look at her track record on City Council and service to the community to make her their choice.

Current Councilwoman Sherri Myers is hoping voters select her to dismantle what she believes are the more problematic elements of the "strong mayor" system.

Pensacola businessman D.C. Reeves hopes voters will favor his data-driven approach and success in starting home-grown businesses to bring new energy to the mayor's office.

Former Escambia County Sheriff's Deputy Steven Sharp hopes voters see his experience working as a first responder and head of security for the Escambia County School District to select him as leader who will be able to make the tough decisions.

The News Journal interviewed each of the candidates about why they were running, their main priorities for the city, what should be done to address homelessness and their view on the role of the mayor. See below for a profile on each candidate.

• Jewel Cannada-Wynn: Jewel Cannada-Wynn wants another opportunity to serve Pensacola, this time as mayor

• Sherri Myers: Sherri Myers wants to shake up the Pensacola mayor's office

• D.C. Reeves: Mayor candidate D.C. Reeves believes 'Pensacola is on precipice of such great things'

• Steve Sharp: Steve Sharp says he has the experience to be the next mayor of Pensacola

The News Journal will host a forum Tuesday in which all four candidates will answer questions live on stage at the Rex Theatre. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the forum begins at 6 p.m. It will also be livestreamed on pnj.com and on the PNJ Facebook, as well as streamed on NewsRadio 92.3 / AM1620 / FM95.3.

The election is Aug. 23. If no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates will advance to a runoff election Nov. 8.

Each candidate also submitted their own Q&A to discuss their priorities for the city of Pensacola. You can find them below.

• D.C. Reeves: Q&A for Pensacola mayor

• Jewel Cannada-Wynn: Q&A for Pensacola mayor

• Sherri Myers: Q&A for Pensacola mayor

• Steve Sharp: Q&A for Pensacola mayor

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola mayor race 2022: Four candidates vie for top city position