Ad wars: Tallahassee candidates dropping first commercials, mailers of the campaign season

Local candidates have dropped their first television commercials and glossy mailers of the election season, with some going into attack mode in the run-up to the Aug. 23 primary.

The ads, mailers and text messages are arriving at the same time vote-by-mail ballots are going out to voters in Leon County. They’re hitting airwaves, mailboxes and inboxes with less than four weeks left until early voting begins.

Leon County Commissioner Kristin Dozier, who’s running for Tallahassee mayor, launched an ad criticizing her chief opponent, incumbent John Dailey, over his vote to give $27 million in Blueprint sales-tax dollars to Doak Campbell Stadium.

“The Doak Campbell Stadium funding ... was a very, very bad deal,” one of her supporters says. “Kristin Dozier stood out in her opposition to Doak Campbell Stadium,” another says. “Kristin Dozier represents the kind of change we need at City Hall.”

More:In their own words: How each elected official explained their vote on divisive Doak deal

Dailey, meanwhile, began his ad campaign last month, with a pair of commercials highlighting job creation and new ethics measures he touts as among the strongest in the state. “Tough new ethics laws are more than just a great idea,” the narrator says. “For John Dailey, it’s been a promise made and a promise kept.”

The mayor said he wasn’t surprised by Dozier’s ad.

“We expected a negative attitude from Commissioner Dozier in her ads,” Dailey told the Democrat.

Ads for David Bellamy, who’s challenging City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow for Seat 3, recently began highlighting his background as a surgeon and police officer while taking swings at the incumbent.

Political consultants - Who's in and who's out:They both worked Obama's campaigns. Now one is advising Mayor John Dailey; the other, rival Kristin Dozier

“(Matlow) pledged to help the less fortunate but opposed pay raises for front line workers and proposed a pay raise for himself,” the narrator says. “Millionaire Matlow took big COVID relief money for his business while not paying his taxes.”

At roughly the same time, Matlow, a restaurant owner, sprang his first ad, a light-hearted spot that shows him romping around the house with his two young sons as his wife narrates. “Jeremy has a hectic schedule, with long hours of service to our community,” she says, adding that the job sometimes comes with “a little mudslinging” from the opposition.

Meanwhile, 4TLH has a digital ad up accusing Matlow of voicing support for a $15 minimum wage while paying his workers less. It includes a help-wanted ad for one of his businesses, Gaines Street Pies, listing the pay at $13-$15.

Matlow said all his workers make over $15 an hour with tips factored in and that all full-time workers also get health benefits. He also said Bellamy mischaracterized his support for higher wages for front-line workers.

“It’s dishonest, and it’s disappointing,” Matlow said. “None of this has to do with what’s best for the city.”

Court records show several Matlow businesses were delinquent on their tangible personal property taxes on seven occasions between 2016 and 2021. The amounts, which were later paid in full, ranged from a little over $100 to nearly $1,300. Tax “warrants” are routinely issued against numerous businesses for late payments.

In 2020, Matlow and two other commissioners voted for staff to bring back an agenda item on raising city commission salaries to the level of county commissioners, who make twice as much. Matlow said the proposal didn’t move forward and that it would need approval in a voter referendum.

Back story:Pay raise for Tallahassee city commissioners? Voters may get to decide

Meanwhile, mailers from Matlow's campaign hit mailboxes with a picture of Bellamy next to Gov. Ron DeSantis, not exactly a popular figure in the Democratic-heavy city. The mailer includes a statement — minus a few words — that Bellamy made in February during a Democratic Environmental Caucus forum. 

"I was pretty happy with DeSantis ... I'd probably do it again," the mailer reads. The full quote, as reported by Florida Politics, was: “I was pretty happy with DeSantis until COVID hit. I’ve been pretty disappointed since. Eliminate COVID, I’d probably do it again."

Bellamy, a surgeon, released his own foldout mailer with photos of his family and his time as a Tallahassee police officer. Other candidates with upbeat mailers out include Dailey and Paula DeBoles-Johnson, Jay Revell and Dustin Rivest, all three candidates for County Commission District 5.

City Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox's campaign sent text messages to city voters with a "Hi neighbor" greeting a reminder that vote-by-mail ballots will be arriving soon. 

"Can I count on your support to continue our momentum?" the message says.

Bellamy, Dailey, Dozier and Matlow have all bought air time in recent weeks on broadcast channels, cable or both, according to recent FCC filings. Many of the ads are running in heavy rotation during news shows.

Campaign fundraising

Here are the latest campaign finance totals for local candidates through July 1:

Leon County Commission at-large

• Rudy Ferguson Sr., $16,693 raised; $8,171 spent
• Josh Johnson, $27,054 raised; $5,830 spent
• Nick Maddox, $39,064 raised; $10,354 spent
• Dominique Danielle Zumbo, $3,457 raised; $3,357 spent

County Commission District 1

• Terrance Barber, $9,704 raised; $7,753 spent
• Donna Pearl Cotterell, $4,302 raised; $4,210 spent
• Bill Proctor, $60,418 raised; $32,445 spent

County Commission District 2

• Sabrina M. Allen, $7,000 raised; $3,367 spent
• Lynda Gayle Bell, $25,300 raised; $6,565 spent
• Christian Caban, $53,037 raised; $21,782 spent
• Hannah Crow, $25,540 raised; $3,975 spent
• William Crowley, $5,178 raised; $3,466 spent
• Max Epstein, $5,939 raised; $3,419 spent
• Manny Joanos, $26,890 raised; $3,357 spent

County Commission District 3

• Joey Lamar, $10,815 raised; $3,271 spent
• Rick Minor, $77,109 raised; $22,019 spent
• Damon Victor, $25,218 raised; $20,425 spent

County Commission District 5

• Paula DeBoles Johnson, $36,461 raised; $4,855 spent
• David O’Keefe, $24,684 raised; $14,694 spent
• Jay Revell, $83,636 raised; $29,899 spent
• Dustin Ryan Rivest, $83,775 raised; $37,170 spent

School Board District 1

• Marianne Arbulu, $2,250 raised; $1,667 spent
• Anthony DeMarco, $4,597 raised; $3,021 spent
• Alva Swafford Striplin, $21,135 raised; $3,496 spent

School Board District 3

• Darryl Jones, $10,820 raised; $7,447 spent

School Board District 4

• Laurie Lawson Cox, $52,939 raised; $14,569 spent
• Susan Elaine Hodges, $1,845 raised; $1,654 spent
• Alexander Stemle, $6,334 raised; $1,800 spent

Tallahassee City Commission Seat 3

• David Bellamy, $272,030 raised; $107,854 spent
• Jeremy Matlow, $114,916 raised; $25,989 spent

Tallahassee Mayor

• John Dailey, $241,515 raised; $86,979 spent
• Kristin Dozier, $87,757 raised; $19,831 spent
• Michael Ibrahim, $1,900 raised; none spent
• Whitfield Leland III, $935 raised; $839 spent

City Commission Seat 5

• Shelby Green, $5,428 raised; $2,806 spent
• Adner Marcelin, $31,321 raised; $12,447 spent
• Dianne Williams-Cox, $76,105 raised; $57,844 spent

County judge Seat 1

• Jason Jones, $69,250 raised; $22,694 spent
• Mario Theodore, $10 495 raised; $10,053 spent

Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or follow @JeffBurlew on Twitter.

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