The Tallahassee Mayoral race is heading to a runoff.
Jeremy Matlow and Loranne Ausley will face off during the general election after getting the top two most votes in Tuesday’s primary.
Matlow took the biggest chunk of the vote in the primaries, with 36% support. Ausley took nearly 34% of the vote.
Matlow watched the results roll in at one of his businesses, Gaines Street Pies in Midtown. He was joined by supporters and two other Tallahassee commission candidates in his progressive coalition: PJ Perez and Dot Inman-Johnson. All three are heading to a runoff.
Matlow said his performance shows momentum for his coalition’s vision for Tallahassee.
“We're ready for a government that looks after everyday people, doesn't bend over for the same special interests, developers, and real estate interests who have been running the show my entire life. And I think the people have shown today by putting me in first place that that's a vision that they agree with,” he said.
Ausley, a former state senator, told WFSU she wants to win over more voters by running as a uniter.
“We continue with our message of civility and working together to find common ground to move this community forward. I think people are tired of the division and the bickering, and they're ready for the community to come together around the things that are going to move us forward,” she said.
Daryl Parks and Michael Foust also ran for Mayor, but got about 25% and 5% support respectively.
The primary sets the stage for an ideological battle over the next few months.
Matlow has been part of the minority progressive faction at city hall for years, being a vocal opponent on issues ranging from the FSU/TMH merger to opposition to the Welaunee development. Ausley is a Democratic moderate who disagrees with Matlow’s opposition on issues like the merger.
That race will be decided during November’s general election.
