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Gulfport to usher in Women’s History Month by swearing in all-female city council

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Published  March 26, 2025 11:40pm EDT
Pinellas County
FOX 13 News

Gulfport's all-women city council

FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis reports on the City of Gulfport, which is ushering in Women's History Month by swearing in Florida's first ever all-women city council.

The Brief

    • The City of Gulfport will have an all-women city council for the first time.
    • This follows the election of Karen Love as the city’s mayor and the election of three female councilwomen.
    • It will mark the first time a city council in Florida is all women.

GULFPORT, Fla. - This Women's History Month, the City of Gulfport has a lot to celebrate. 

PICTURED: Karen Love.

It will soon make history as having Florida's first ever all-women city council. The city will also have a female mayor for the second time since it was founded in 1910.

"What I did not know was that we were going to make history. I did not know," said Mayor-elect Karen Love. "In Florida's history, there has never been an all-five-person female council, so that was my first news. Then, my second bit of news that morning was that it only happened five times in the United States, period."

What they're saying:

Come April 1, Gulfport’s City Council will comprise Love, April Thanos (Ward 1), Marlene Shaw (Ward 2), Cosi Jackson (Ward 3) and Nancy Earley (Ward 4).

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Mayor-elect Love is a 15-year resident of Gulfport.

The City of Gulfport's all female city council.

"There is a saying in Gulfport, 'You do not find Gulfport, it finds you,' and I really resonate with that," said Love. "There is just a different quality of people. Somehow, we are all connected here."

Love said when she first ran for mayor, she turned to the city's first female mayor, Yvonne Johnson. 

"We had already had a female mayor in 1972, and she was mayor, I believe, until '97," Love said. "I went to her, and I said, ‘You led the way. You were our first, and I would like to introduce myself and tell you that I am going to be the second.’"

Dig deeper:

Love said she revisited Johnson on Tuesday. 

PICTURED: Karen Love.

"I said, but at that time, I did not realize what a historical moment this was going to be. I said now that I do," said Love. "It is so important for you to be there; you led the way in the '70s. She is going to be there at the swearing-in. I am really pleased about that."

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Marlene Shaw secured the Ward 2 seat. Shaw is a 30-year resident who worked for the city for five years, managing the casino and theater. 

"I think there was a real energy for some change," Shaw said. "This is a huge win for Gulfport. It was not about me, that I couldn't do it alone, and that it was all up to the community."

Big picture view:

Both women said it was not about one gender over the other but equality. 

 

"I do not know all of the people on the council, but what I have seen and what I have heard is it is not only about being all-female," said Love. "It is about smart, business-like, energized, ready to get to work, and I am so excited to work with all these folks."

The city's swearing-in ceremony will happen at City Hall on Tuesday, April 1, at 6 p.m.

The Source: FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis collected the information in this story.

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Pinellas CountyPoliticsWomen's History Month