Naya Young on track to win Tampa City Council race
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First-time candidate Naya Young scored an upset victory to claim a Tampa City Council seat on Tuesday, according to unofficial results.
Why it matters: Young is set to represent the roughly 45,000 residents of District 5, which encompasses a vast swath of the city, including downtown, Ybor City and parts of East and West Tampa.
- The district has gone without direct representation since former Council member Gwendolyn Henderson unexpectedly died in June.
Driving the news: Despite trailing Thomas Scott by 14% in last month's election, Young took 61% of the vote Tuesday.
State of play: Housing, development and diversity emerged as the key issues in the race, per the Tampa Bay Times. City Council elections are nonpartisan.
- Young, 33, now will have the chance to pursue her plans to help close the city's housing shortage and push developer agreements with community benefits such as affordable housing and jobs.
- She also wants to help local businesses in underserved communities with grants and partnerships with colleges and universities, per the Times.
The big picture: Barring any complications finalizing the ballots, Tuesday's election concludes a crowded race to succeed Henderson, a beloved teacher, community activist and champion of Black history and culture.
Catch up quick: The race began with 14 candidates. Scott and Young surfaced last month as the frontrunners with a stark contrast in age, experience and campaign support.
- Scott is a pastor who previously served 10 years as a Hillsborough County commissioner and four as a City Council member. He had backing from political fixtures like Sheriff Chad Chronister and former state Sen. Janet Cruz.
- Young has been a community activist since she was a teen and currently leads the Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association. Progressive advocacy groups such as Florida Rising and the Hillsborough County LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus endorsed her.
Follow the money: While Scott out-fundraised her, Young brought in more smaller individual donations, Creative Loafing reported.
- Donors in real estate, construction and development have favored Scott, while Young's support has come largely from educators.
What's next: Young will likely be sworn in later this week after the results are finalized, per the Times.
- She'll finish out Henderson's term, which ends in April 2027.