Janelle Irwin Taylor
The West Central Florida Labor Council, AFL-CIO and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1464 are backing Thomas Scott in his race for Tampa City Council, District 5.
Scott is running in a Special Election to replace Gwen Henderson, who passed away unexpectedly earlier this year.
Scott is one of 13 candidates who filed in the race. He is a former Tampa City Council member and former Hillsborough County Commissioner. He ran in 2020 to regain a seat on the County Commission, but lost in the Democratic Primary. Still, it makes Scott the only candidate in the race with prior elected experience.
The West Central Florida Labor Council represents 2,227 active and retired union members who are registered to vote in District 5, according to Scott’s campaign. Members of the union work in various public sector industries, including construction, health care and entertainment.
“Rev. Scott has been a reliable partner to labor in Tampa for decades,” said Stephen Simon, president of ATU Local 1464, which represents most of the city’s union employees. “He understands the importance of protecting public-sector union jobs and strong city services. Our members know that with his leadership, working people in Tampa will have a voice at City Hall.”
Scott is running on a platform friendly to the transit union, including not only an emphasis on public transportation, but also addressing the city’s affordable housing crisis, which heavily impacts many workers in the sector.
“Transportation and housing affect every working family, union or not,” said Stephanie Yocum, President of the West Central Florida Labor Council. “Thomas Scott is committed to addressing these issues, and he has the experience in office to navigate the politics and deliver for working families.”
Scott has lived in District 5 for more than 45 years, according to a questionnaire he recently completed for Florida Politics. He serves as the pastor of the 34th Street Church of God. In addition to transit and affordable housing, Scott is also running on an open government platform, vowing to be responsive to constituents.
“I am deeply honored to receive the support of organized labor. Throughout my public service, I’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with working people, and that commitment hasn’t changed. I will continue to be a strong voice for working families, fight for good jobs, and quality public services,” Scott said.
Qualifying for the race is this week. Scott is one of four candidates to qualify so far; the remaining candidates have until Friday to do so.
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.
