Nowicki beat incumbent Charlie Justice, a stadium supporter and the lone commissioner who voted against delaying the bond vote in October. He told the Times he is a “solid no vote” and he thinks the Rays want to blame the deal falling apart on the commission’s delay.

Pinellas County commissioners voted again Tuesday night to delay a key vote on a deal to build a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium. Why it matters: Another delay means more uncertainty over a region-defining plan to transform the site of Tropicana Field into a new ballpark surrounded by a redeveloped Historic Gas Plant District.

In the hours preceding the Commission meeting, the Rays sent what has been described as a warning letter claiming the team had “suspended work on the entire project” and not just the new stadium.