Tampa City Council District 5 seat up for grabs in special election Tuesday. Here's what to know

Voters in parts of Tampa have a chance to cast their ballots on Tuesday to fill the vacant City Council District 5 seat, with more than a dozen candidates vying for the office.

What to know:

The special election will fill the seat vacated when City Council Member Gwendolyn Henderson, who represented District 5, died in June at age 60.

Photo of Gwendolyn Henderson. Courtesy: City of Tampa.

Photo of Gwendolyn Henderson. Courtesy: City of Tampa.

District 5 covers downtown Tampa, Ybor City, East Tampa, Tampa Heights, and a portion of West Tampa.

There are 13 candidates on the ballot:

  • Audette Bruce
  • Juawana Colbert
  • Albert Cooke
  • Ariel Amirah Danley
  • Thomas DeGeorge Jr.
  • Darrell Ashley Dudney
  • Alison A. Hewitt
  • Elvis Piggott
  • Thomas Scott
  • Fran M. Tate
  • Carroll "Carrie" West
  • Melony Williams
  • Naya Young

Dig deeper:

In late August, the Hillsborough County Canvassing Board tested its voting equipment, with Elections Supervisor Craig Latimer telling FOX 13 that the special election will be safe and secure.

What's next:

Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday. Mail-in ballots must also be returned by 7 p.m. Tuesday.

If no candidate earns at least 50% of the vote, the top candidates will advance to a runoff election in October.

The Source: This story was written with information provided by the City of Tampa and the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office.

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