2 days ago
Tampa voters weigh in on District 5 city council candidates
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Friday is the final day for candidates to qualify for September's special election to fill Tampa's District 5 city council seat. The position has been vacant since the death of Councilwoman Gwen Henderson.
The Tiger Bay Club of Tampa will host a moderated discussion with all qualified candidates, Friday afternoon. As of Friday morning, 14 candidates had declared their intentions to participate in the race.
Richedean Hills-Ackbar is a lifelong resident of District 5 and believes there's been a void in the community since Henderson's death.
'She showed up to a lot of the local meetings, and she wasn't afraid to answer questions,' Hills-Ackbar said.
Seven of the candidates participated in a forum at Blythe Andrews Jr. Public Library. They laid out plans for housing, business development, and funding for the East Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency.
Hills-Ackbar explains, 'It's important that someone actually cares about this community, that's from this community, they actually answer and return phone calls, that their concerns are the concerns of the people here.'
'It's real hard out here, but all the elected officials get in, they talk about they're going to do something for the people, but when they get there, they don't do nothing,' describes another district 5 voter.
Whoever wins the race will represent families in portions of downtown, the Channel District, Ybor City, West and East Tampa, Sulphur Springs, McKay Bay, and Palmetto Beach.
'I hope their intentions are to do their best for the community and their intentions are to serve the people of District 5. If they're not here for that, they can just keep it moving,' describes Hills-Ackbar.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Solve the daily Crossword
