Daryl Parks held a press conference today to address what he described as “deeply troubling” revelations regarding the campaign tactics used by his opponent, Mr. Matlow. Parks accused the Matlow campaign of employing online manipulation and misleading tactics designed to “confuse voters” and “divide our city”.
At the center of the allegations is a Facebook page originally titled “Pause the TMH Deal Vote No on December 10th,” which was later renamed “Tallahassee Conservatives”. Consistent with media reports, Parks, noted the page was administered by Matlow’s campaign manager and that the Matlow campaign ran political advertisements through that same account.
TR first reported that mayoral candidate Jeremy Matlow and his campaign manager were tied to a fake Facebook page designed to impact local elections. After the story was published, Matlow’s campaign manager, Kristellys Estanga resigned. Estanga’s political consulting clients have included U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum.
Matlow has denied any involvement with the Facebook renaming controversy.
Parks characterized these digital tactics as “deceptive” and “divisive,” alleging that the name change was a calculated effort to make it appear as though conservatives were attacking city commission seat 3 candidate Talietha Edwards, a Black woman. Parks argued this was a “deliberate attempt to inflame division” and “manipulate public perception” within the local race.
The Capital Conservative Club of Tallahassee, a local politically active group founded in 2009, issued a press release about the controversy.
“The Capital Conservative Club of Tallahassee is expressing concern about a fake Facebook page that used the name ‘Tallahassee Conservatives’ and appeared to suggest that local conservatives were encouraging the Tallahassee Police Benevolent Association to withdraw its endorsement of a candidate for the Tallahassee City Commission. We want to reassure Tallahassee residents that the Capital Conservative Club has no connection and has never had any connection to this Facebook page, which has since been taken down, or to any group using the name ‘Tallahassee Conservatives….Introducing misleading information into our community is not helpful to voters or to the election process. We believe campaigns should be conducted with transparency and respect for the people of Tallahassee. This type of activity contributes to the frustration many residents feel toward politics. We encourage anyone involved in creating or promoting misleading content to take responsibility for their actions.”
Parks Questions Matlow’s Tactics
Parks took the opportunity to questions Matlow’s political tactics.
“Tallahassee needs leadership that unites us, not leadership that hides behind misleading pages and divisive tactics,” Parks said. He further asserted that this behavior is not an isolated incident, claiming that for the last eight years, Matlow has consistently used tactics that “divide, mislead and inflame”.
Matlow’s city commission aide, Ryan Ray, runs a political blog that has published unflattering stories about fellow Democrats that do not walk the progressive line.
Parks called on community leaders, organizations, and Democrats who have endorsed Matlow to denounce these actions. Emphasizing that the mayoral race is a non-partisan “people election,” Parks argued that the contest should be defined by character, integrity, and accountability rather than the weaponization of identities for political points.
“We can debate ideas, we can disagree on policy, but we should never manipulate voters and mislead the public,” Parks concluded, pledging that his own commitment to the city would be rooted in truth and transparency.
See full press conference here.
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