September Election Set for Tampa Council District 5 After Henderson's Passing

TAMPA — A special election to fill the vacant Tampa City Council District 5 seat will be held on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections announced this week. The election follows the sudden passing of Councilmember Gwen Henderson.

If no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote, a runoff will take place on October 28, 2025.

District 5, which includes nearly 44,000 active voters, covers parts of East Tampa, Downtown, and surrounding neighborhoods. Voters will be able to cast their ballots by mail, during early voting from September 4–7, or at their assigned polling place on Election Day.

Key dates include the voter registration deadline on August 11 and candidate qualifying deadline on August 15. Ballots will be mailed to overseas voters starting August 16 and to domestic voters beginning August 18. The final day to request a Vote By Mail ballot is August 28.

Candidates must meet residency requirements and complete qualifying paperwork. Details for voters and potential candidates are available at votehillsborough.gov.