Janelle Irwin Taylor
Thomas Scott and Naya Young are heading to a runoff Oct. 28.
Their No. 1 and 2 finishes, respectively, on Tuesday narrowed what had been a crowded field of 13 candidates on the ballot, as well as a write-in who qualified for the race. So now that there are two, what comes next?
Voter turnout in the Special Election was at just about 12%, low even for an off-year Special Election. For anyone not registered to vote, the deadline to do so and be eligible to cast a ballot in the runoff is Sept. 29.
Early voting for the runoff runs Oct. 23-26. Mail ballots can be requested online.
Neither Scott nor Young were the top fundraisers in the race. Ariel Amirah Danley raised more than $60,000 and tied for fourth place in the election with Thomas DeGeorge Jr. But Scott was the second-best fundraiser, with nearly $52,000 brought in as of Sept. 4, the latest date for which reports are available.
Scott spent about $30,000 of that and heads into the runoff with about $21,000 left on hand.
Young, meanwhile, raised just over $19,000 and heads into the runoff with less than $8,000 left in the bank. Still, she was able to finish in second place with far less money than Scott, meaning momentum might be on her side.
Young landed a few helpful endorsements.
Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Les Miller and his wife, Tampa’s first Black City Council member, Gwendolyn Miller, both supported Young. So too did the advocacy group Florida Rising, which works to support historically marginalized communities.
Voters may gain some additional insight as the dust settles from Tuesday’s election, especially if other candidates begin endorsing either Scott or Young in the race.
And the next campaign finance reports will also offer an idea of where support is coming from, and at what level. The next reports are due Oct. 3 and will cover financial activity through Sept. 26.
Scott served as a County Commissioner from late 1996 through 2006, and ran again in 2020, ultimately losing in a crowded Democratic Primary to Gwen Myers, who continues to hold the seat. Scott also previously served on the Tampa City Council from 2007 to 2011.
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 is now a consultant for the group.
