Young Defeats Scott In Tampa District 5 Council Election: Unofficial Results

Updated: Tuesday, 11:19 p.m.

TAMPA, FL — Naya Young has the lead over her opponent Thomas Scott in a special runoff election to fill the Tampa City Council District 5 with all 28 precincts reporting their results to the Hillsborough County Supervisors of Election office.

Young earned 3,116 votes or about 61 percent of votes cast, while Scott received 1,995 or about 39 percent of the votes, unofficial results from the office show.

“Congratulations to Naya Young on winning the District 5 City Council seat tonight! And thank you to all the candidates, including Thomas Scott, for your commitment to our community,” Mayor Jane Castor wrote in a social media post. “I know the good work of our late Councilwoman Gwen Henderson will continue for District 5 [and] all of Tampa. Important work ahead.”

Scott also congratulated his opponent in a social media post, writing, "Congratulations to Naya Young on a hard-fought race! We look forward to seeing and working with you to help move District 5 and the City of Tampa forward."

The District 5 seat has been open since the Henderson's death in June.

Scott and Young were the candidates with the top two vote counts in a Sept. 9 primary election. They led a crowded field of candidates to move on to Tuesday’s runoff.

About the Candidates

In the Sept. 9 election, Scott earned 1,459 votes in September, while Young took home 715, according to the Supervisor of Elections Office.

Scott previously served on both the Hillsborough County Commission and the Tampa City Council. He held the role of chair three times for each body.

“His comprehensive understanding of government operations, budgeting, and community development guarantees that he can immediately contribute without any learning curve or delay,” according to his campaign website.

He counts initiating the creation of the East Tampa Community Redevelopment Area as one of his biggest accomplishments during his time in office.

Scott called the project “a transformative move that redirected resources into historically underserved neighborhoods. Thanks to this effort, many families, including first-time homebuyers, were able to access funding to secure their homes and build generational wealth,” according to his website.

Among his primary goals, if elected, Scott hopes to launch a 12-week Tampa Citizens Academy, host monthly meetings in District 5 and create a 100-day plan for the district.

Young got her start in politics by canvassing for former Senator James Hargrett and Rep. Betty Reid.
Her grandmother also raised her to be involved in grassroots collaboration and civic engagement, according to her campaign website.

Among community projects she has worked on are Tampa’s Green ARTery and a push for law enforcement to be trained in diabetes awareness under state law.

As a professional, she’s worked in the nonprofit sector, including running enrichment programs and serving as executive director for the Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association.

Young's areas of focus if she were to be elected include youth empowerment, economic development, smart growth and strong neighborhoods, according to her website.