Thomas Scott (L) and Naya Young at WMNF in Tampa, Florida on Oct. 17, 2025. // Photo by Ray Roa
With less than a week to the kickoff of early voting, Thomas Scott and Naya Young were back at WMNF 88.5-FM Friday morning to talk to voters who’ll cast a ballot in the special election for Tampa City Council. District 5 seat.
Scott and Young have qualified for the runoff election after being part of a field that included more than a dozen candidates.
In the first half of a special two-hour collaboration between WMNF programs Down N Dirty and The Skinny, the candidates came on the air to discuss their views on Tampa’s community redevelopment associations, gentrification, federal overreach, and the role council plays in the city’s strong mayor form of government.
Scott and Young also responded to questions about campaign contributions, which show that Scott has been heavily favored by developers while Young gets support from educators.
In the second half of the show, hosts John Dingfelder, Mitch Perry and Ray Roa were joined this panel to discuss what they heard in the debate and other citywide issues including zoning, impact fees, political violence and more.
Robin Lockett, Regional Director Florida Rising
Stephanie Poynor, President, Tampa Homeowners Association of Neighborhoods
Taryn Sabia, Urban designer, Assistant Dean for Research in the College of Design, Art & Performance at the University of South Florida
Valerie Smith, Editor-In-Chief Sapphic Sun/Contributor Creative Loafing Tampa Bay
Listen to the debate by visiting the Down N Dirty page on WMNF and hear the roundtable discussion via The Skinny.
(L-R) Stephanie Poynor, Valerie Smith, Robin Lockett and Taryn Sabia at WMNF in Tampa, Florida on Oct. 17, 2025. // Photo by Ray Roa