Three-quarters of a million raised in crowded Tallahassee mayoral race

Four contenders are vying to become Tallahassee’s next Mayor. 

Incumbent Democrat John Dailey was narrowly re-elected to a second term in 2022, defeating Democratic Leon County Commissioner Kristin Dozier in a runoff after she took first place in the August Primary.

Dailey is not term-limited but announced in August he would not seek another term. The same day, City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow, who has repeatedly sparred with Dailey over the years, announced his candidacy. 

Other candidates in the race include Loranne Ausley, Daryl Parks and Michael Foust.

Ausley served in the State House and Senate before she was defeated by Sen. Corey Simon in 2022, while Parks unsuccessfully challenged Simon in 2024 and lost by a slightly larger margin. Foust is an IT entrepreneur and a first-time candidate. 

Camron “Justice” Cooper, a progressive 26-year-old State of Florida employee with a sizable TikTok following, was the first candidate to file but was barred from running because he did not meet the residency criteria. Matlow and three other City Commissioners voted against his eligibility last September, while Dailey cast the lone dissenting vote.

Through June 12, the top three candidates have collectively raised nearly $725,000, with Parks raising $284,000, Ausley raising $270,000, and Matlow raising $169,000. Foust has raised $5,300.

Parks’ contributions include $100 from City Commissioner Curtis Richardson, an ally of Dailey, and $1,000 each from the Floridians For Uniting Strong Families and Florida Born and Raised political committees, which typically donate to Republicans.

Ausley has largely raised her money from the business community and has reported contributions from a D.C.-based Democratic political committee and committees associated with former state Rep. Ben Diamond and law firm Carlton Fields. She also reports several donations from individuals and organizations in North Carolina.

Matlow trails Parks and Ausley in fundraising but has the most small donors, with most of his contributions under $25.

Bettors on Polymarket have Ausley as the front-runner, giving her a 49% chance of winning, while Matlow and Parks each have a 23% chance. Foust comes in at 1%, behind former Congressman Al Lawson, who previously flirted with the idea of running but is not in the race.

The race will be on the Aug. 18 Primary ballot, but will likely head to a November runoff unless one candidate wins more than 50% of the vote.

Deep blue Leon County is one of just five counties carried by Charlie Crist in the 2022 gubernatorial race, and Tallahassee is one of 32 state capitals with Democratic Mayors, according to Ballotpedia. Only seven state capital Mayors are Republicans, while four are nonpartisan or independents and seven are unknown.