1956 Tampa mayoral special election

1956 Tampa mayoral special election

←  1955 September 11, 1956 September 25, 1956 1959  →

Candidate Nick Nuccio J. L. Young, Jr. First round 14,378 32.49% 16,178 36.56% Runoff 23,624 50.13% 23,499 49.87%   Candidate W. Harion Henry Jim Fair First round 11,443 25.86% 2,252 5.09% Runoff Eliminated Eliminated

Mayor before election J. L. Young, Jr. Nonpartisan Elected mayor Nick Nuccio Nonpartisan

The 1956 Tampa mayoral special election took place on September 25, 1956, following a primary election on September 11, 1956. Mayor Curtis Hixon, who was re-elected to a fourth term in 1955, died on May 21, 1956. The chairman of the City Board of Representatives, J. L. Young, Jr., became mayor following Hixon's death. ^[1] Young ran in the special election to serve out the remainder of Hixon's term. He was challenged by County Commissioner Nick Nuccio, who had unsuccessfully challenged Hixon in the previous year's election, and Justice of the Peace W. Harion Hendry.

In the primary election, Young placed first, winning 37 percent of the vote. Nuccio placed second with 32 percent of the vote and they both advanced to the general election. Nuccio narrowly defeated Young, winning 50.1 percent of the vote to Young's 49.9 percent, a margin of 125 votes. The initial count had Nuccio leading Young by 325 votes, and Young requested a recount, ^[2] which revealed a tabulation error that cut Nuccio's lead by 200 votes but nonetheless upheld his victory. ^[3]

Primary election

Candidates

• J. L. Young, Jr., incumbent Mayor ^[4]
• Nick Nuccio, Hillsborough County Commissioner, 1955 candidate for Mayor ^[5]
• W. Harion Hendry, justice of the peace ^[6]
• Jim Fair, operator of a discount house ^[7]

Disqualified

• W. B. "Bill" Haggerty, cold storage executive and former member of the City Board of Elections ^[8]

Declined

• Anthony Schleman, Hillsborough County Tax Assessor ^[9]

Results

1956 Tampa mayoral special primary election ^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Nonpartisan	J. L. Young, Jr. (inc.)	16,178	36.56%
	Nonpartisan	Nick Nuccio	14,378	32.49%
	Nonpartisan	W. Harion Hendry	11,443	25.86%
	Nonpartisan	Jim Fair	2,252	5.09%
Total votes			48,337	100.00%

General election

Results

1956 Tampa mayoral special general election ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Nonpartisan	Nick Nuccio	23,624	50.13%
	Nonpartisan	J. L. Young, Jr. (inc.)	23,499	49.87%
Total votes			47,123	100.00%

References

1. "Mayor Hixon Dies: J. L. Young Becomes Mayor Here". Tampa Times . Tampa, Florida. May 21, 1956. p. 1. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
2. "Voting Machine Check Asked By Young, Loser In Tampa Mayor Race". St. Petersburg Times . St. Petersburg, Florida. September 27, 1956. p. 2. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
3. "Nuccio Sworn In As Mayor". The Tampa Tribune . Tampa, Florida. September 28, 1956. p. 45670. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
4. "J. L. Young Files In Mayor Race". The Tampa Tribune . Tampa, Florida. June 23, 1956. p. 10. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
5. "Nick Nuccio Announces For Mayor". Tampa Times . Tampa, Florida. June 23, 1956. p. 1. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
6. "Hendry Qualifies for Mayor". Tampa Times . Tampa, Florida. August 6, 1956. p. 5. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
7. "Bicycle-Riding Jim Fair Qualifies In Mayor Race". The Tampa Tribune . Tampa, Florida. August 7, 1956. p. 1. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
8. Blalock, Bill (June 30, 1956). "Law Bars Haggerty as Candidate for Mayor". The Tampa Tribune . Tampa, Florida. p. 1. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
9. Bradford, Vernon (June 10, 1956). "Schleman Withdrawal Seen As Making Young Hard Man To Beat In Race For Mayor". The Tampa Tribune . Tampa, Florida. p. 1. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
10. "Election of 9/11/1956". Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections. Archived from the original on December 1, 2010. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
11. "Election of 9/25/1956". Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections. Archived from the original on December 1, 2010. Retrieved July 6, 2025.