Five Questions for Loranne Ausley

By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida

Loranne Ausley served two stints in the Florida House before her election to the state Senate in 2020. Ausley, a Democrat, lost a 2022 bid for re-election after changes were made to North Florida’s sprawling Senate District 3. Ausley spent months recovering from injuries suffered last year while competing in an Ironman triathlon. Ausley returned to the political arena in September when she announced she is running for mayor of Tallahassee, her hometown. 

The News Service of Florida has five questions for Loranne Ausley, with questions and responses edited for length and clarity.

Q: Many of us were following your recovery from the bicycle accident you had while competing in a triathlon. What can you share with us about your healing journey?

AUSLEY: We’re coming up on the one-year anniversary of our race, which is this weekend, actually. It was Nov. 2, and I was in the Ironman Florida triathlon in Panama City. I had actually completed the Ironman World Championship about a month earlier, in Nice, France. It was a women’s world championship that’s usually in Kona and this year it was in Nice. I completed that, and it was a really hard race, and I was really excited about the fact that I was going to race an easier race near Tallahassee. So I did the Ironman Florida, prepared to do that on Nov. 2. I swam 2.4 miles, and I was somewhere around mile 30 on a 112-mile bike ride and I don’t know what happened. I have no memory of the day. I had a bad accident, went over the handlebars and spent time in a coma in Panama City. They transferred me to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta because of a spinal-cord injury and some brain issues. Anyway, long story short, it was a long three to four months of recovery, and I had completed my physical and occupational therapy, but I did a lot of time with therapists in Atlanta and here in Tallahassee. I know so many people followed my accident and my recovery, and I appreciate it so much. I am happy to say that I actually ran a half-marathon on Saturday in Boston, Ga., and I am swimming. I’m not going to bike anymore. I’ve done six Ironmans, and I think that’s enough. I don’t need to do anymore, and I can ride my Peloton, and I’m feeling good about it all.

Q: What made you decide to enter the race for mayor?

AUSLEY: You know, I spent 14 years in the Florida Legislature, two different times as a House member — from 2000 to 2008, and then again from 2016 to 2020 — and I spent two years in the Florida Senate, in the largest Senate district in Florida, representing Tallahassee and Quincy and 11 very small, rural counties. I did a lot of work for broadband and just focusing on rural issues. I went through this accident, and I’ve been through all this recovery, and I feel like I’m here for a reason. You know, I feel like I have service left to give. And what better place than my own hometown, which I’ve lived in most of my life. In Tallahassee, the mayor’s office is open, and just like the Florida House seat was open 25 years ago when Marjorie Turnbull decided not to seek reelection, I ran and had three elections and started my legislative career. I am looking for the opportunity to run in an open seat in my hometown and try to bring some vision and leadership to this community that is really on the cusp of some great things. Some great things have been going on for years, and I think we need to push it to the next level.

Q: There’s a schism between Democrats at the local level which reflects a divide within the party on a state and national level. How do you think you can bridge those differences? 

AUSLEY: The bottom line is, I’ve spent 25 years of my life working with both sides of the aisle to just solve problems and get things done. And really, I think that’s what we need to do here in this community, Republicans, Democrats, NPAs, whatever. It is a nonpartisan race. It’s not as much about partisanship as it is about pulling people together, finding out what’s important to this community, and doing what it takes to get that done, to solve problems and to help everyday Tallahasseeans. …I’m excited about the opportunity to maybe not talk about party and to talk about what moves this community forward — jobs, housing, transportation — things that really aren’t Democratic or Republican. So many people don’t think about party. … When I first got elected, we were friends. All of us were friends, the 63 of us that started together 25 years ago (as House members), we were friends before we were party members. I don’t see that happening. And I would like to get back to that. Let’s focus on what makes things work for people. That, to me, is what this is about.

Q: Florida is one of the Republican-led states that could take the unusual step of redrawing congressional districts mid-decade. What are your thoughts on that?

AUSLEY: I think we all know that redistricting is meant to happen every 10 years. It just happened. I am very familiar with that. I am not in the state Senate because of it. I think we ought to follow the rules of law as it is and the Constitution as it is. There’s no need to jump into that at this point.

Q: You’re having a dinner party with three people. Who would you invite?

AUSLEY: Barack Obama. I think in Florida I might invite Jeb Bush. And Jerry Garcia. I was one of the first elected officials to endorse Barack Obama, and I’m very proud of that. I got elected when Jeb Bush was governor of Florida and we had lots of fights back and forth. I really think, looking back, he was a great governor and did great things. I saw him recently at John Thrasher’s funeral, and I appreciate his commitment to the state. Jerry Garcia. I’m a lifelong supporter and fan of the Grateful Dead and I would love to have a conversation with him