Unexpected alliances and 'smear' campaigns: Tallahassee, Leon candidates unveil endgame
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Local candidates are making their closing pitches, launching their final attacks and taking their last steps to sew up support ahead of Tuesday’s general election.
In the combative race for Tallahassee mayor, John Dailey and Kristin Dozier both took their messages to the TV airwaves, though the incumbent’s ads were in heavier rotation than his challenger’s.
Dailey unveiled a new commercial hitting Dozier on ethics, including images of headlines on stories about the FBI’s public corruption investigation, which hasn’t directly involved her. Dozier has her own ad up denying the accusations.
Meanwhile, more videos with no identifying political disclaimers surfaced on social media of women complaining about the way Dailey treated them. Dailey disputes their accounts, which he said are part of a “smear” campaign.
Vote with confidence: The ultimate Leon County, Tallahassee voter's guide to the 2022 general election
Spotlight on the mayor's race:
Charter review: Tallahassee candidates for mayor both say city commission should be expanded
The mayoral money race: Dailey loans campaign $50K, dwarfs Dozier war chest; A PAC awakens
Final attack lines: Women hit Dailey with complaints; mayor knocks Dozier over Bragg vote
Endorsement drama: State Democrat chair's Dailey endorsement stirs intra-party fight; Dozier draws her own fire
Debate replay: Dailey, Dozier debate style, substance during feisty final forum
In the at-large County Commission race, both Nick Maddox, who’s seeking a fourth term, and challenger Josh Johnson got 11th-hour support from political committees, including one chaired by the incumbent.
Maddox’s Together We Can committee is paying for TV ads with a message about his vision for the community and nary a reference to his opponent.
Another committee, Ethics in Government, is sending text messages to voters supporting Johnson and attacking Maddox. Johnson said he had no involvement in the committee, which is chaired by a former campaign adviser to City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow.
In the contest for an open Leon County Commission seat in District 2, Christian Caban, a former Republican turned Democrat, picked up an endorsement from Matlow, an avowed progressive, who himself called the nod “unexpected.”
The move put Matlow on the same side in the race as Grow Tallahassee, a developer group with an affiliated political committee that pushed hard for his primary opponent, David Bellamy. Caban’s opponent, Hannah Crow, a Republican, has chastised him for his party switch.
Dailey uses public corruption case in TV ad; more Dozier supporters post testimonials
Dailey’s campaign commercial, which recently hit airwaves, features a familiar attack from the mayor, who has criticized Dozier throughout the campaign for a 2015 home purchase from developer John “J.T.” Burnette that he claims is shady and she says was on the up-and-up.
The ad flashes Tallahassee Democrat headlines about Scott Maddox, Paige Carter-Smith, Andrew Gillum and others swept up in the FBI probe over video of the federal courthouse. As in other Dailey ads and mailers, it also accuses her of voting to benefit her family’s construction business.
“Kristin Dozier’s lapses of judgment with our tax dollars may not bother her,” a woman narrating says, “but they bother us. Let’s go forward with John Dailey.”
Dozier, who has had a response ad up for a while calling Dailey’s allegations “false,” said his latest commercial “just reeks of desperation.”
Point: We need a new perspective in City Hall | Kristin Dozier
Counterpoint: 4 years ago, I put my promises to Tallahassee in writing. Here's how we did | John Dailey
“He’s shown us all along that he will do anything to stay in power,” she said in a text. “More character assassination is in line with how he’s handled himself in this campaign and in his time as mayor.”
Meanwhile, more testimonial-style videos of women who say they had unpleasant experiences with Dailey made rounds on Facebook and Twitter. Four women, City Commissioner Jack Porter, former city Ethics Officer Julie Meadows-Keefe, community advocate Jackie Perkins and environmental activist Kim Ross appeared in the videos.
In one of the videos, Ross said Dailey got visibly upset and practically yelled at her during a meeting a few years ago. She said he got “red in the face” and “blustery” after she mentioned staff, and that he told her “don’t you dare say anything negative about staff.”
Back story: Publisher of Our Tallahassee shuttering partisan media site for new venture
“I was shocked,” she says in the video. “I wanted to burst into tears.”
All four of the women declined to say who produced the videos. They have appeared in the social media feeds of Our Tallahassee, a partisan news site that announced its closure earlier this month.
Max Herrle, an OT founder working behind the scenes to help Dozier and other candidates, did not respond to a question asking whether he produced the videos. Dozier said she had “no involvement,” though she shared the one of Porter on Facebook.
Dailey said he never meets with anyone without staff present and that other people at the various meetings “would refute” what the women alleged.
“Obviously, this is an organized campaign by my opponent to smear my name and credibility,” Dailey said. “And I believe that (the videos) should have disclaimers on them and that it’s electioneering.”
Jeremy Matlow, Grow Tallahassee on same side in county District 2 race
On Tuesday, Matlow stood side-by-side with Caban and endorsed him outside Woodchuck’s Cafe on West Tharpe Street. The location was chosen because the two support making improvements to Tharpe Street a bigger priority for Blueprint sales-tax funding.
Matlow said he and Caban had a shared vision for Tharpe Street and Lake Munson and called the first-time candidate an “independent thinker.”
Vote with confidence: Leon County Commission, Seat 2: A voter's guide to the 2022 general election
Counterpoint: Leon District 2 deserves a leader who understands the issues | Christian Caban
“Will we disagree on larger issues?” Matlow asked. “We probably will.”
Caban said Crow, his opponent, has been “pushing the message” that District 2 hasn’t been neglected. The district includes the 32304 ZIP code, the most impoverished in Florida.
“I really appreciate (Matlow) trusting my leadership and guidance and understanding that I'm going to put our people first,” Caban said. “When it comes to making decisions, we're going to prioritize people.”
Crow said she respects elected officials but found it strange that Matlow endorsed Caban without talking with her. She has accused Caban of not being honest about his partisan beliefs and for giving to a GOP Senate candidate from Nevada after becoming a Democrat.
“When my husband and I made a family decision to run for this office, our one focus was to run with integrity, honesty and on our own merit,” she said in a text. “And what’s what we have done.”
Matlow called Caban’s donation in the Nevada race “concerning” but said he hasn’t supported “right-wing extremism,” a reference to some of Crow’s social media activity.
The commissioner downplayed the fact that he and Grow Tallahassee, longtime foes over growth and development, are both supporting Caban. During the primary, Matlow, who defeated Bellamy, called Grow Tallahassee “far-right extremists” who “will say anything to win.”
Grow Tallahassee’s political committee funded recent mailers touting Dailey’s accomplishments and claiming Dozier, whom Matlow supports, doesn’t have any.
“This is not an endorsement of Grow Tallahassee,” Matlow said. “This is not an endorsement of, what I believe, has been too much developer influence over decision-making at City Hall and the county. This is an endorsement of Christian Caban.”
Maddox decries 'polarization' in TV ad; political committee backing Johnson hits with text messages
In the county at-large race, Maddox funded a new 30-second TV spot through his Together We Can committee, formed shortly before the August primary.
“We have big issues in this county just like every other county in America,” Maddox says in the ad, “but one thing I can tell you for sure is that if we don’t get to place where polarization goes away and we come together as one team, we’ll never get there.”
The committee raised $14,000 from a handful of individuals and companies, including Waste Pro, the city and county’s garbage collection vendor, Arbor Properties and David Coburn, former Florida State University athletic director.
Spotlight on the issues: Candidate forum replay: Nick Maddox, Josh Johnson take swings in County Commission race
Voter guide: Leon County Commission, at-large, Group 2: A voter's guide to the general election
Point: The time for talk is over. Let’s keep doing the work. | Nick Maddox
Counterpoint: Let’s restore common sense and decency at Leon County | Josh Johnson
The committee backing Johnson, Ethics in Government, sent out text messages saying Maddox’s record included a “sexual misconduct scandal” at the Boys & Girls Club, where he worked until abruptly resigning last year, and “shady insiders and developers” funding his campaign. It links to a website with the same allegations.
“I’m disappointed that he would decide to go negative,” Maddox said in response. “But we’re going to continue and focus on the issues that are important to people here in Leon County.”
Back story: Nick Maddox faced sexual harassment allegations before abruptly resigning from Boys and Girls Club
Ethics in Government, formed Aug. 11, lists Teresa Wells, a Matlow adviser, as its chairperson and treasurer. The committee raised $10,000 from two Tallahassee companies, Urban Grow Group and Healthcare Equity Solutions, with the money spent during the primary on mailers. More recently, writer Ann VanderMeer donated $2,500.
Johnson said he wasn't involved with the committee or familiar with the two companies that gave. He added he didn’t see the text message until someone sent it to him.
“It’s not my style,” Johnson said. “But I can’t say that those people are lying.”
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or follow @JeffBurlew on Twitter. Reporter Karl Etters contributed to this story.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee, Leon elections: PACs, 'smears' and unexpected alliances
