Fort Pierce to hold special election to fill vacant commissioner seat

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — The city of Fort Pierce announced it will hold a special election to fill the vacancy for Seat 2 of City Commission District 2.

The vacancy was left by James Taylor, who officially resigned from office on Aug. 2, after he was arrested by St. Lucie County deputies and charged with 24 counts of child exploitation.

The primary special election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 4. If necessary, a run-off election will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026.

Starting today, candidates may submit qualifying paperwork for review and processing, but all paperwork must be officially filed within the qualifying window, the city said.

The official qualifying period for the special election begins Monday, Aug. 18 at noon and ends Friday, Aug. 22 noon.

For more information on how to qualify, click here.

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