Naya Young wins runoff to take District 5 seat on Tampa City Council
By Steve Newborn
October 28, 2025 at 10:34 PM EDT
There will be a newcomer on the Tampa City Council. Naya Young bested veteran officeholder Tom Scott in Tuesday's runoff for the seat held by the late Gwen Henderson.
Political newcomer Naya Young handily beat Tom Scott in a runoff on Tuesday to win the vacant District 5 seat on Tampa City Council.
Young, 33, will serve the remainder of the term of Gwen Henderson, who died in June. The term ends in November 2027.
Young, who works for the Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association, will be sworn in Friday.
ALSO READ: Tampa teacher, council member and bookstore owner Gwen Henderson dies at age 60
Unofficial results from the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections show Young received about 61 percent of the vote. Scott, a former council member, received about 39 percent.
The vote tally was 3,116 to 1,195.
Turnout was under 12 percent.
The result was a reversal of sorts from September, when Scott got 27 percent to Young's 13 percent in a 14-person contest.
Scott, a 72-year-old pastor, served as a Hillsborough County Commissioner from 1996 to 2006 and on the city council from 2007 to 2011.
District 5 is centered in East Tampa, but includes fast-growing areas of downtown and Channelside.
(1147x362, AR: 3.1685082872928176)
Young, 33, will serve the remainder of the term of Gwen Henderson, who died in June. The term ends in November 2027.
Young, who works for the Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association, will be sworn in Friday.
ALSO READ: Tampa teacher, council member and bookstore owner Gwen Henderson dies at age 60
Unofficial results from the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections show Young received about 61 percent of the vote. Scott, a former council member, received about 39 percent.
The vote tally was 3,116 to 1,195.
Turnout was under 12 percent.
The result was a reversal of sorts from September, when Scott got 27 percent to Young's 13 percent in a 14-person contest.
Scott, a 72-year-old pastor, served as a Hillsborough County Commissioner from 1996 to 2006 and on the city council from 2007 to 2011.
District 5 is centered in East Tampa, but includes fast-growing areas of downtown and Channelside.
(1147x362, AR: 3.1685082872928176)