Northeast Tallahassee flexed its electoral muscles in the city commission race pitting incumbent City Commissioner Curtis Richardson against challenger Dot Inman-Johnson, propelling Richardson to a narrow victory.
The hotly contested race, which would have flipped control of the city commission to the progressive movement, was decided by less 1,200 votes.
The Numbers
Richardson received 42,020 votes (50.7%) of the vote while Inman-Johnson received 40,856 votes (49.3%).
A look at the numbers behind the race shows that voters in District 4 (Northeast Tallahassee) provided the greatest margin between the candidates than in any of the other four districts.
The Northeast favored Richardson by a margin of 3,082 votes – 9,307 to 6,225. Richardson won the race by 1,164 votes.
District 4 was recently referred to as home to a far-right ideology by City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow. However, the district is actually home to a political diverse group of voters with 40.7% registered as Republicans, 37.4% as Democrats, and 22.5% with no affiliation to Republicans or Democrats.
Richardson was able to appeal to a broad coalition and carried the district with 59.9% of the vote.
Richardson and Inman-Johnson split the District 1 (southside) and District 3 (Waverly, Piedmont area) vote. Of the 34,495 votes cast in those two districts, Inman-Johnson received 17,258 votes while Richardson received 17,237 votes – a margin of 21 votes.
Inman-Johnson won District 2 (FSU, Westside) by 1,137 votes and District 5 (Lafayette Park, Eastside) by 760 votes.
Richardson’s margin of victory in District 4 was twice the margin of Inman-Johnson margin in District 2.
To Edward Lyle: ??? Way to close. Tallahassee residents need to really educate themselves and see the destructions in other cities caused by progressive policies.
The City of Tallahassee wisely dodged a Progressive Projectile by re-electing Commissioner Richardson, and thus blocking Pizza Boy Matlow's attempt to take control of our future.
Similarly, the Commission rightly denied our own little AOC Mini-Me, Jackboot Porter, the role of Mayor Pro Tem. "You cannot expect to control that which you sought to destroy"
Note to Pizza Boy and Jackboot: Stop attacking and targeting your Commission colleagues, stop focusing on a deranged ideology and agenda, and grasp the concept of a collegial body charged with "working together" to serve the best interests of the City of Tallahassee.
... thus endith the lesson
Richardson showed his intelligence by focusing in on District 4 which generally is a casual, “stay at home “ voting precinct! His smart move paid off!
Keep in mind, Richardson was the LESSER of Two Evils running and he barely won.
Congratulations Curtis Richardson!!!!! Let's continue moving Tallahassee Forward!!!
Richardson is a member of the swamp. Mayor Flintstone and the rest need to go. Starting with Goad.
What Districts are you using because the City Commissioners run for Seats because they chose to not have Districts. I assume you are using the County Districts or the School Board Districts. The City should have Districts like the County and School Board.
all just to support doubling politician salaries, higher taxes and the guy who seconded Scott Maddox's motion for Goad. strange