It's becoming apparent that the two candidates who will be in a run-off election in the Tampa City Council District 3 race will be former Hillsborough County Commissioner Chris Hart and current District 4 interim Council member Yolie Capin.
With 90 of 121 precincts in, Hart has 28% and Capin 24%, well ahead of the two more fashionable younger candidates who got the major endorsements, Jason Wilson and Seth Nelson.
Chris Hart got into the race on the last day of qualifying. Some analysts called it a "game-changer," while others scoffed, saying that Hart had been out of the spotlight for too long (he last served in office in 2002).
But whattaya know? Hart has strong roots with the Republican Party of Hillsborough County, and it looks like that will do the job tonight.
Capin, meanwhile, has the power of name recognition, as well as being the only female in the race, and having some major billboards (and a quasi-Kathy Castor endorsement as well) to help the cause.
Capin has strong ties with the Hillsborough County Democratic Party, which will make the race partisan — forget the fact that it's considered a "non-partisan race."
This article appears in Feb 24 – Mar 2, 2011.