Mitch Perry
Former Tampa City Councilman and Hillsborough County Commission Thomas Scott has been appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to the Florida Elections Commission.
The 61-year-old Scott is senior pastor at the 34th Street Church of God in East Tampa. He’s been out of politics for four years after his first city council term ended in 2011.
Scott previously was a Hillsborough County commissioner 1996 to 2006 and a member of Tampa City Council 2007 to 2011. Instead of running for re-election in District 5, Scott opted to run that year for the open mayoral seat vacated by a term-limited Pam Iorio.
That run proved unsuccessful when Scott finished fifth in the five-person field. A subsequent try at Supervisor of Elections in 2012 ended when he lost to Craig Latimer in the Democratic Party primary that August.
Scott received his bachelor’s degree from University of North Florida and his doctorate from Southern California School of Ministry. He fills a vacant seat and is appointed for a term that began Monday and ends Dec. 31, 2016.
The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.
