Two icons in the local Black community are throwing their weight behind Naya Young in her bid for the Tampa City Council.
Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Les Miller and his wife, Tampa’s first Black City Council member Gwendolyn Miller, are endorsing Young. Both Millers are Democrats.
Les Miller served as a Hillsborough County Commissioner for a decade, first elected in 2010. He left office in early 2021. He also served in the Florida House from 1992 until 2000 and in the Florida Senate from 2000 to 2006, when he ran unsuccessfully for Congress.
Gwendolyn Miller was elected to the Tampa City Council in 1995 and served four terms. She was inducted into the Hillsborough County Women’s Hall of Fame in 2012, and in 2024 was honored as Tampa’s first Black woman to serve as Grand Marshal in the Martin Luther King Jr. parade.
Before elected service, Gwendolyn Miller was an educator for 37 years.
Young announced the endorsement Sunday, thanking the power couple for “believing in me and Tampa’s future.”
The endorsement comes just days after Young also earned support from the advocacy group Florida Rising, which works to support historically marginalized communities.
Young is seeking the District 5 seat on the Tampa City Council in a Special Election on Sept. 9. The race includes 13 candidates on the ballot, with a 14th candidate running as a write-in.
Young’s platform includes youth empowerment, which Young said she would further by partnering with nonprofits, schools and businesses “to create training pipelines and opportunities that prepare our young people for good-paying jobs and participation in our shared economic growth.”
On smart growth, the idea that development should be strategic and targeted, Young said she would focus on affordable housing, improving public transit and investing in infrastructure that keeps up with growth.
Young also plans to prioritize economic development, including supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs while encouraging workforce training programs and attracting good-paying jobs that will enable families to thrive.
She is also emphasizing strong neighborhoods, with a platform that aims to “build communities where resources are fairly distributed, and everyone has a voice that is truly heard.”
Young has been a grassroots activist since she was a teenager, canvassing for the campaign of former Democratic Sen. James Hargrett before later working to help elect former Rep. Betty Reed.
She began nonprofit work with the Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association, later rising to become the group’s Executive Director. She is now a consultant for the group.
Young is among the top fundraisers in the race so far, though she’s not No. 1. As of Aug. 8, she had brought in more than $12,000 for the race, trailing three other candidates.
Thomas Scott, who previously served on the City Council and was a County Commissioner, has raised more than $35,000. Ariel Amirah Danley, the daughter of the late Gwen Henderson, whose unexpected death prompted the Special Election, has raised about $24,000. And Juawana Colbert, a real estate professional who starred in a Netflix reality series, has raised more than $21,000.
Two other candidates, Thomas DeGeorge Jr. and Alison Hewitt, have each raised about the same as Young. All others trail, with only one, Fran Tate, hitting five figures.
Early voting for the race begins Sept. 4 and runs through Sept. 7.
A runoff will be held Oct. 28, if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, a high likelihood given the crowded field.
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