TAMPA, Fla. — Former Tampa City Councilmember Orlando Gudes is dropping out of the race for District 5, he said in a statement.
Gudes said he was fighting the interpretation by the city clerk that residency relies on voter registration, rather than where a person physically lives.
The former councilmember sent ABC Action News a statement saying, in part, “the financial and logistical strain of pursuing it during a condensed campaign timeline is not prudent. These past two years have been stormy, but I kept the faith and stayed strong for my family, friends, and community— as a faithful servant leader. Thank you to everyone who stood by me. The fight for justice, equity, and transparency is far from over. I will continue to serve and support my community in any way I can."
Gudes lost his seat to Gwendolyn Henderson back in 2023.
Saudi flight from Tampa, secret FBI probe reveal possible Saudi support network for 9/11 hijackers
Twenty years after the Sept. 11 attacks, more than 80,000 records compiled by the Tampa FBI Field Office remain classified. Newly declassified documents are pointing to a possible secret Saudi support network for the hijackers. Soon after the attacks, the FBI uncovered that 15 of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia.
