Bill Proctor endorses ‘unbought and unbossed’ Jeremy Matlow in Tallahassee mayoral race

Jeremy Matlow has picked up an endorsement from County Commissioner Bill Proctor, Leon County’s longest-tenured local elected official.

The endorsement came during a news conference at the Leon County Courthouse. Proctor praised Matlow as genuine, compassionate and someone who would stand up for the “plight of common people.”

“My favorite City Commissioner over 30 years has been Jeremy Matlow,” Proctor said. “Commissioner Matlow is unbought and unbossed.”

Matlow, a sitting City Commissioner, is running for Mayor of Tallahassee against former Sen. Loranne Ausley, lawyer Darryl Parks and IT entrepreneur Michael Faust.

Proctor has served on the Leon County Commission since he won a Special Election in 1996. He represents District 1, which stretches from Florida State University’s campus all the way to the southeast corner of the county.

Incumbent Mayor John Dailey is not running for a third term. He narrowly won a contentious 2022 re-election bid that saw him trailing challenger Kristin Dozier after the first round of voting.

Dailey and Matlow were both first elected in 2018 and have sparred frequently with each other. Matlow has been on the losing end of several controversial 3-2 splits on the Commission, including votes to continue a partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, limit public comment to 30 minutes, and transfer ownership of Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (TMH) to FSU.

During Tuesday’s press conference, Proctor specifically criticized the FSU-TMH deal.

Proctor endorsed Dailey’s re-election and backed him on the city’s $20 million incentive package for Doak Campbell Stadium. However, he has also been critical of city leadership for neglecting the concerns and needs of Black residents.

A poll released this week by St. Pete Polls found Ausley leading Matlow with 29% support to his 24%. Parks garnered 14% and Faust, the lone Republican in the race, registered 3% support.

However, the poll also found 31% of voters were still undecided with exactly four weeks until the Primary. If no candidate tops 50% on Aug. 18, the top two will head to a runoff in November.