Orlando Gudes has withdrawn from the Special Election for Tampa City Council, District 5 following a Florida Politics report that he did not meet residency requirements for the race.
In a press release late Wednesday night, Gudes explained that he had moved “out of his personal home” so his daughter “and her three children could have a stable place to live” following “a serious accident” his daughter suffered “that resulted in severe paralysis.”
“The City Clerk’s interpretation of residency relies on the date a voter registration is changed — not on where one has physically lived,” Gudes further explained. “I, on the other hand, interpreted the Charter’s residency requirement to be where a person physically lives, not what is on the voter registration card or when it might have been updated.”
The announcement comes after Florida Politics reported on Monday that Gudes had changed his address on his voter registration on June 17 to an address, which was redacted on official reports, within District 5, meaning he would not have resided within the district for the requisite six months required by the city charter to serve as the City Council member for that district.
Gudes was running for the seat after a Special Election was called to replace Gwendolyn Henderson, who passed away suddenly in early June. Prior to June 17, which happened to also be the day of Henderson’s memorial service, Gudes had resided in District 7, north of District 5, since July 21, 2023.
Gudes previously served as the City Council member for District 5 after being elected in 2019, until leaving office in 2023 when Henderson defeated him following a series of scandals. Records also show Gudes resided in District 7 before his 2019 election.
In his press release explaining his residency challenges in the race, Gudes said that he had moved into his mother’s home “to care for her, due to her failing health,” adding that he has “been her caretaker for over a year.” He did not specify whether his mother’s home is located in District 5 or District 7.
Still, he said he made the decision to withdraw from the race “after thoughtful consultation with legal counsel,” adding that the choice came despite being advised that “this matter is winnable.”
“The financial and logistical strain of pursuing it during a condensed campaign timeline is not prudent,” Gudes wrote.
Gudes also made reference to the allegations that plagued his unsuccessful re-election campaign in 2023, in which he lost to Henderson.
The claims, which Gudes denies, included allegations of creating a hostile workplace and making inappropriate comments.
The allegations prompted a city investigation, which found 18 of the claims in a lawsuit to be credible. Gudes never resigned, and a sexual harassment lawsuit against him was eventually dismissed after the city agreed to a settlement with the victim. Eventually, though, the city agreed to pay Gudes $45,000 to cover his legal fees accrued while defending the civil suit.
In addition to criticism over the scandal when Gudes served on the City Council, he also faced potential pushback over his disciplinary record from his 26-year service with the Tampa Police Department. That includes an incident in which Gudes left his service weapon unattended in his vehicle, resulting in a teen he was to give a ride home to that evening accidentally shooting his sister in the leg.
Later, Gudes was suspended over allegations that he lied about details of an arrest. Other disciplinary records outline situations when Gudes made inappropriate comments or other careless oversights while on the job that compromised investigations.
Gudes continues to deny any wrong doing as it relates to the workplace allegations against him while on City Council.
“Allegations were made attacking my character — allegations that I firmly deny and that do not reflect the truth of who I am or the record of my service,” he wrote. He pointed to the sexual harassment case being dismissed and the city reimbursed his attorney fees.
While there will now be one less candidate in the race, it will still be a crowded contest.
Ten other candidates remain in the race, with time still for more to emerge — qualifying for the race doesn’t begin until Aug. 11 and runs through Aug. 15.
Other candidates in the District 5 race include Henderson’s daughter, Ariel Amirah Danley; Thomas Scott, a former Hillsborough County Commissioner; Realtor and reality TV star Juawana Colbert; photographer Darrell Ashley Dudney; owner of the popular Crowbar, Thomas DeGeorge; Fran Tate, who works in medical coding for Moffitt Cancer Center; Melony Letitia Williams, a Republican who previously ran unsuccessfully for Hillsborough Clerk of Court; Audette Bruce, a former district aide for Republican Rep. Berny Jacques; community advocate Naya Young; and perennial candidate Elvis Piggot.
The Special Election is Sept. 9, with early voting from Sept. 4-7. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote — a high likelihood given the number of candidates — a runoff will be held Oct. 28.
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