TAMPA, Fla. — Incumbent Mayor Jane Castor scored the most votes in the Tampa mayoral election to ease into a second term as the city's mayor.
The mayor, who ran unopposed, garnered a little over 80 percent of the votes with roughly 19 percent of votes going to write-ins, according to the unofficial results provided by the county supervisor of elections.
"I am honored and humbled to be re-elected Mayor of our great city," a statement from the mayor reads, in part. "I am so grateful for the support, trust and enthusiasm of so many residents who appreciate the direction Tampa is heading.
"Together, we have achieved so much over the past four years. We have made significant progress in building a stronger, safer, and more equitable Tampa. We have invested in our neighborhoods by protecting our tree canopy, increasing access to recycling, making our roads safer by focusing on traffic calming measures like crosswalks to classrooms."
Castor's statement continues, in part, "I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as your Mayor once again, and I am committed to working tirelessly alongside city council members and our public and private partners every day to make Tampa an even better place to live, work, and raise a family. Together, we will continue to build a city that we can all be proud to call home."
The reelected mayor can also look ahead to finding the next chief of police for the city after former Tampa Police Chief Mary O'Connor resigned following the release of body camera video showing O'Connor flashing her badge during a traffic stop
Previously, Castor said she'd wait until after April elections to ensure input from city council members. A spokesperson for the mayor, Adam Smith, said in a statement, that Castor could pick a search firm before April to start the process.
Bill Carlson is projected to win the race for city council in District 4 by more than 2,500 votes and Gwendolyn Henderson is set to become the next city councilwoman after receiving 75 more votes than Orlando Gudes, who currently holds the District 5 seat, according to unofficial results from the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office.
Based on the unofficial results, county officials say races for city council District 1, District 2, District, 3 and District 6 will move on to a runoff.
Unofficial results also show that three amendments have been voted to pass, which include the following:
- Amendment 2: Require four city council votes to approve the mayor’s nominations for department heads and limit the time an existing city employee could serve in an interim role to 180 days.
- Amendment 3: Revise term limits for city council members, prohibiting them from serving more than four consecutive, full terms anywhere in the city.
- Amendment 4: Require the city’s Charter Review Advisory Commission to meet and review the charter every eight years instead of 10.
Amendment 1 is projected to fail as more people voted on not allowing the city council to create standing boards, without requiring the mayor’s recommendation.
The votes will be reported and certified at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 9. As far as a run-of election goes, here are the dates to look out for.
- Deadline to register, if not already registered — March 27
- Early voting — April 17–23
- Election Day — April 25