Former Tallahassee mayoral candidate Daryl Parks has endorsed Loranne Ausley in the November runoff for mayor, potentially giving Ausley an important boost as she and City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow compete for voters who supported Parks in the August primary.
Parks, a civil rights attorney and businessman who finished third in the four-candidate primary, announced his support for Ausley Wednesday.
“I ran for Mayor because I believe Tallahassee deserves a city government that listens, brings people together, and puts people before politics,” Parks said. “I still believe in the ideals and priorities that drove my campaign. And I believe Loranne Ausley is the person who can take those priorities across the finish line.”
Parks praised Ausley’s record during more than two decades in public life, including her service in the Florida House and Senate.
“Loranne has spent more than two decades fighting for North Florida, standing up for families, children, neighborhoods, working people, opportunity, and a government that delivers results,” Parks said. “She has proven she can take a fight to the Capitol and get things done.”
Parks added that he trusts Ausley “to bring that same determination home to City Hall.”
The endorsement could be significant because Parks emerged from the primary with more than one-quarter of the mayoral vote.
According to the latest Leon County Supervisor of Elections results, Matlow finished first with 14,934 votes, or 36.03%, while Ausley received 13,988 votes, or 33.75%. Parks finished third with 10,483 votes, or 25.29%, and Republican Michael Foust received 2,042 votes, or 4.93%.
With Parks and Foust eliminated, more than 12,500 voters who supported another candidate in August are potentially up for grabs in November.
Parks’ voters could be particularly important to Ausley. An earlier Tallahassee Reports analysis of the primary results found Parks performed especially well in areas with large numbers of Black voters. In the geographic district analysis, Parks received 4,330 votes in Districts 1 and 2, compared with 3,539 for Matlow and just 1,457 for Ausley.
The endorsement also highlights one of the themes separating the two remaining candidates.
During the campaign, Parks repeatedly emphasized collaboration and a change in the tone at City Hall. Ausley has similarly promoted a message of “progress without division,” while Matlow has positioned himself as a critic of what he describes as Tallahassee’s political establishment and insider interests.
Parks made that distinction clear in announcing his endorsement.
“That’s why I’m endorsing Loranne Ausley for Mayor,” Parks said. “She will move our city forward and restore civility, collaboration, and respect to City Hall.”
“I ran because I believe in Tallahassee,” Parks added. “I’m supporting Loranne because I believe she can help us build the Tallahassee we deserve.”
Be the first to leave a comment on this article.