The race for Tallahassee City Commission Seat One heated up today (Tuesday). Tom Flanigan reports the issue involved a campaign brochure, a political T-V ad and a ruling by the Florida Elections Commission.
The brochure promoting candidate Steve Stewart had a photo of him with Leon School Superintendent Jackie Pons. Stewart opponent Scott Maddox cried “foul”.
Even though it showed the school superintendent’s picture with him on there and had a quote from Jackie Pons on the mail piece, he certainly wanted to give the inference that he was endorsed.”
Since Pons had not in fact endorsed Stewart, Maddox ran T-V ads right before the August primary attacking Stewart. Maddox also filed a complaint with the Florida Elections Commission, which now says the brochure wasn’t an ethical breach. Now it’s Stewart who’s calling out Maddox.
“To run an ad two days before the election that says I claimed an endorsement I didn’t have when the elections commission is now saying that’s not true, Scott Maddox ran a false ad.”
During a Tuesday news conference, Stewart suggested his future campaign ads might focus on what he called a “deceptive pattern of behavior” on the part of Maddox.
