ST. PETERSBURG – Wengay Newton (above) and Bill Dudley (left) , two self-described outsiders who campaigned against City Hall, narrowly won seats on the City Council on Tuesday.

Newton defeated Gershom Faulkner by some 600 votes out of a total of about 14,500 cast in the race in District 7; Dudley beat Ed Montanari by less than 260 votes in District 3.

Newton and Dudley had been voiceful critics of Mayor Rick Baker’s fiscal policies. Both men said the message resonated.

“We’ll work with the mayor. But he has to work with us,” Newton said after fielding congratulatory calls from several council members. “The people really want change. They want something done.”

Two other seats on council were also decided Tuesday, with incumbents Jamie Bennett and Herb Polson winning re-election.

Final vote totals, as of 11:45 p.m.

District 1
Bob Kersteen 6,667
Herb Polson  7,293

District 3
Bill Dudley 7,291
Ed Montanari  7,034

District 5
Jamie Bennett 11,417
New Election 2,541

District 7
Gershom Faulkner 6,637
Wengay Newton 7,246

- Aaron Sharockman and Nicole Hutcheson, Times Staff Writers