In the Arena: Matlow Should Resign Party Post

Jeremy Matlow in December 2024 was elected as one of the State Committeemen of the Leon County Democratic Executive Committee (LCDEC). His role as State Committeeman is to provide leadership and directions to the Florida Democratic Party (FDP) and the LCDEC.

In early January 2023, shortly after being re-elected as a City Commissioner, Matlow announced he was running to be Chair of the FDP. I wrote a strong editorial against his doing so because he could not be an effective State Chair while serving on the City Commission. He withdrew his candidacy a week later.

Lets examine together Matlow’s record as an elected Democratic Party leader in Leon County. Please reference the table provided.

When Matlow became a county Democratic Party officer in December 2024 there were 99,056 active registered Democrats. At the end of August 2025 there were 87,581 for a decline of 11,475 Democratic voters. This is a drop of 11.6% since December 31^st.

Fifty-three counties had a lower percent drop in Democratic registration during this time period. Only 13 counties had a greater percent drop in Democratic registration.

Ryan Ray, Matlow’s city commission aide who is paid an annual salary of $88,448 according to https://govsalaries.com/ray-ryan-c-149363661 (the firefighters should take note since this is 64% higher than the average median salary in the entire City of Tallahassee), likes to brag about how blue Leon County is.

So lets examine the loss of Democratic registration in the six counties in Florida that voted for Kamala Harris for President in 2024.

Among the six, Leon County ranks number one for having the highest percent drop in Democratic registration.

Leon County’s percent drop is 39 times higher than the drop in Broward. Leon County’s drop was nearly ten times higher than the drop in Alachua County. In Bay County there was an actual small net gain in Democratic registration during 2025.

Combining the other five counties that went Harris in 2024, the percent drop in Leon County was more than twice as high.

Matlow’s neglect, or failure, when compared to other counties (being 54^th worst in Democratic percent voter registration drop is not something to brag about) should cause him to resign either both, or at least one, of the positions he holds. The energy he has put into attacking fellow City Commissioners suggests he is neglecting his duties as State Committeeman of the LCDEC.

Matlow’s highly paid puppet Chair of the LCDEC, Ryan Ray, has been a disaster as County Chair.

The LCDEC consists of two persons for every precinct with 999 Democratic voters or less and four persons for every precinct with 1,000 Democratic voters or more.

In short, there are 336 LCDEC precinct positions. On top of that the County Chair can appoint another 33 persons to service on the LCDEC. A total of 369 positions on the LCDEC exist.

Last month a person was elected as State Committeewoman by a unanimous vote of 18 to 0. Among the total possible positions that would a turnout of less than five percent. It is possible that there are perhaps a total of sixty members. Due to quorum requirements for a LCDEC meeting 18 present would be a quorum. If that is so, then only 16% of the total positions are filled. Either way, these paltry numbers represent negligent and ineffective leadership by both the puppet Ray and his handler Matlow. Both should resign their party positions.

Now for a confession so the reader does not think I am being negative. I supported Matlow in his first bid for office in 2018 and for his re-election in 2022. I said in a published quote “I like Matlow for the code he lives by, his openness, and his willingness to help others.” However, these words do not apply to one’s unbridled ambition, sustained vicious attacks on fellow elected public officials or community organizations, or neglect of party duties.

When I was the Chair of the LCDEC at times more than 80% of the precinct positions were filled, the LCDEC endorsed candidates after following a prescribed rigorous endorsement process, and we did not publicly attack elected official or community organizations (we did have some unspoken private thoughts about certain personages and groups).

Jon M. Ausman is the longest serving Chair of the Leon County Democratic Party in Leon County’s history (April 1980 to January 2000). He can be reached at 850-321-7799 or at ausman@embarqmail.com.