Your guide to voting in Tampa's runoff election
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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Tampa voters will soon decide a handful of close City Council races, some of which have gotten dirty since the March election.
Why it matters: Four contested seats and, ultimately, the extent of Mayor Jane Castor's influence on the council are at stake in Tuesday's runoffs.
State of polls: No candidate in the races for Districts 1, 2, 3, and 6 drew more than 50% of the vote in March, leaving those seats undecided.
- In District 1, Alan Clendenin will take on Sonja P. Brookins. They both got more votes than incumbent Joseph Citro last month, while Clendenin led.
- Council member Guido Maniscalco will face Robin Lockett for a citywide seat representing District 2. Both candidates campaigned on addressing affordable housing concerns.
- Charlie Miranda and Hoyt Prindle compete for the new District 6 seat, covering West Tampa and parts of Seminole Heights and South Tampa.
Between the lines: In the first round of voting, District 3 council member Lynn Hurtak had an edge over former state Sen. Janet Cruz, who lost her statewide office to Republican Jay Collins during the 2022 midterm election.
- Since then, Republicans have made unlikely alliances with Hurtak to try to defeat Cruz. And Cruz has deployed some nasty campaign mailers attacking Hurtak.
- So too have the District 6 candidates, Creative Loafing reports.
What they're saying: "Never before, ever — and I am an old woman — has there been this nastiness in a local nonpartisan race," Sandy Freedman, Tampa's first woman mayor, told Creative Loafing.
What we're watching: Voter turnout on March 7 was super low, with 13.6% of registered voters turning in ballots, meaning the runoff election could be decided with even fewer votes.
Be smart: Election Day polling places are open from 7am-7pm. Find more information here.