Janelle Irwin Taylor
Community advocate Naya Young is now the 11th candidate vying for the Tampa City Council in a Special Election for District 5 to fill the vacancy created last month after Council member Gwendolyn Henderson passed away.
Young has been a grassroots activist since she was a teenager, canvassing for the campaign of former Democratic Sen. James Hargrett before later working to help elect former Rep. Betty Reed.
She began nonprofit work with the Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association, later rising to become the group’s Executive Director. She now serves as a consultant for the group.
“Tampa is growing every day to represent many diverse communities, with unique backgrounds, experiences, hopes and dreams,” she said. “My goal is to ensure that the individuals and communities that comprise District 5 have a clear and respected voice in shaping our future.”
Among her advocacy, Young pushed for walkable green spaces, diabetes awareness and law enforcement. She has an undergraduate degree in culture and media communication from the University of South Florida and a master’s degree in political science from Howard University. She also received a nonprofit management certification from the University of Tampa.
“I have prepared for the opportunity to represent the people of District 5. I have the capability, and the will to make a difference,” she said.
With nearly a dozen candidates already filed, all will have a challenging path ahead to differentiate themselves in a crowded field. The contest could still see additional entrants. Candidate qualifying for the race doesn’t begin until Aug. 11, and remains open through Aug. 15.
Also running is Ariel Amirah Danley, the daughter of the late Henderson.
Orlando Gudes, who was Henderson’s predecessor, is also running. Elected in 2019, Gudes served just one term after scandal plagued his service. That included claims, which Gudes denies, of creating a hostile workplace and making inappropriate comments. The allegations led to Gudes’ defeat against Henderson in 2023.
It was Henderson’s sister who was at the center of the controversy plaguing Gudes’ tenure. She was an aide to Gudes and made several claims against her boss, alleging inappropriate comments, sometimes sexual.
The allegations prompted a city investigation, which found 18 of the claims in a lawsuit to be credible. Gudes never resigned, and the sexual harassment lawsuit against him was eventually dismissed after the city agreed to a settlement with the victim. Eventually though, the city agreed to pay Gudes $45,000 to cover his legal fees accrued while defending the civil suit.
The race also includes a reality TV star in Juawana Colbert. Colbert is a Realtor with Allure Realty, an all-female, all-Black real estate firm in Tampa that focuses on luxury properties. She and others at the firm were featured in the Netflix series “Selling Tampa.”
Other candidates include Thomas Scott, a former Hillsborough County Commissioner; photographer Darrell Ashley Dudney; owner of the popular Crowbar, Thomas DeGeorge; Fran Tate, who works in medical coding for Moffitt Cancer Center; Melony Letitia Williams, a Republican who previously ran unsuccessfully for Hillsborough Clerk of Court; Audette Bruce, a former district aide for Republican Rep. Berny Jacques; and perennial candidate Elvis Piggot.
Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer scheduled a Special Election to replace Henderson for Sept. 9. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, a runoff election will be held Oct. 28.
Early voting for the Special Election will run Sept. 4-7 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., with polls open on Election Day from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Because Henderson passed away more than 15 months before her term would have ended, a Special Election is required to fill the remainder of her term.
