The 1971 Tampa mayoral election took place on September 14, 1971. Incumbent Mayor Dick A. Greco ran for re-election to a second term. He was challenged by former Mayor Nick Nuccio, whom he defeated in 1967. Greco defeated Nuccio in a landslide, winning 66 percent of the vote and avoiding the need for a runoff election. In the process, he became the first Mayor of Tampa to be re-elected since 1955. However, Greco did not end up serving his full term as mayor. He resigned from office in 1974, triggering a special election later that year.