After four months of campaigning, the future of Tampa City Council’s District 5 seat came into clear view early Tuesday night when Naya Young jumped out to an early lead from mail ballots.
The gap only widened as the night went on, and supporters gathered at 7th+Grove in Ybor City let the 33-year-old Middleton High School alum hear it with chants of “Naya” throughout the night. (See photos from the party at the bottom of this post.)
Despite being out fundraised more than 2-to-1, Young defeated former Tampa City Councilman and Hillsborough County Commissioner Thomas Scott in a landslide, by earning just under 61% of the vote.
Turnout on Tuesday night was slightly lower compared to the 5,411 voters who voted in the primary.
Just 5,112 voters from the district (11.46%) cast a ballot in the runoff election last night, with the Tampa Monitor showing that turnout was highest in several Heights neighborhoods (Tampa, Riverside, Seminole) and East Tampa.
The writing may have been on the wall after the September election when Scott earned just 27% of the vote compared to Young’s 13.29%. Most voters who didn’t choose Scott or Young last month clearly broke for the newcomer.
Unofficial results from the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections showed Young earning 3,116 votes to Scott’s 1,995. With only 5,122 ballots cast, Young dominated Scott in vote-by-mail (+410), early votes (+195) and Election Day voting (+516).
Young won all but three precincts in the race, according to Tampa Monitor, with her strongest support coming from pockets of Tampa Heights, West Tampa, East Ybor, Seminole Heights, and the Riverbend area. Scott performed best in Precinct 338 near Busch Gardens and Precinct 307 around Oak Park.
“I’ve got to frame that map,” Young told CL Wednesday morning when asked about her strong showing across district precincts.
Her performance came despite being outraised by Scott in the primary and runoff by more than $53,000 ($94,620.25 to $41,318.00 as of Election Day). As previously reported, Scott’s advantage came largely at the hands of donors with interests in development, construction, and real estate.
Young previously told this reporter and WMNF News that she was proud of her fundraising and that her campaign had been able to do a lot with that money and support from donors begging for something new. This morning she reiterated how her campaign leaned into the grassroots approach in getting out to do the hard work of talking to voters.
“I had to get out there and convince people. If they didn’t vote for me before, I had to convince them to give me a chance. That takes getting out and talking to people directly, one on one. Those are some things that money necessarily can’t really buy,” she told CL. “Another reason I like that map is because it puts things in perspective—I couldn’t get to every person, but people talk to each other, and they say why they’re voting the way they are. People really want to see something different.”
Young, who didn’t get to bed until about 2 a.m. on Election Night, added that she’s ready to work and finish out the term vacated after the expected death of Tampa City Councilwoman Gwen Henderson. Henderson’s daughter, Ariel Amirah Danley, was among the 13 candidates who entered the race to fill the seat.
The supervisor of elections will certify the results on Friday, Oct. 31 at 2 p.m., and Tampa City Council Chairman Alan Clendenin told CL that Young will be sworn in an hour later at city hall.
By all accounts, the city at large is ready to see the University of South Florida and Howard University grad get to work, too.
Scott’s campaign quickly released a statement congratulating his opponent on the hard-fought face, adding that, “We look forward to seeing and working with you to help move District 5 and the City of Tampa forward.”
Council chairman Clendenin was at 7th+Grove to congratulate his new co-worker, as was Councilman Bill Carlson who posted a picture of himself with Young’s family at 7th+Grove . Councilman Luis Viera called her victory “remarkable.”
Councilman Guido Maniscalco said he was happy and excited to welcome her to council. “For the last decade, I have been the youngest member and only millennial, and now we welcome another fresh, new voice to the board,” the 41-year-old added.
Mayor Jane Castor also offered Young her congratulations to Young and thanked every candidate for running. “I know the good work of our late Councilwoman Gwen Henderson will continue for District 5 & all of Tampa,” Castor added.
Councilwoman Lynn Hurtak—who defeated former State Sen. Janet Cruz to win her seat in 2023—was also at 7th+Grove to welcome “#17” to the club.
Hurtak and Henderson, who also won her seat in 2023, used to call each other “15” and “16” respectively, in reference to their places in the sequence of women to ever serve on Tampa City Council.
“Glad I won’t be the only woman on city council any more!,” Hurtak wrote on social media.
All photos by Dave Decker/Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.
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This article appears in Oct. 23 – 29, 2025.