Race to November
2026 Tallahassee Primaries
Florida primary elections were held on Aug. 18, 2026 to select candidates for the general election on Nov. 3, 2026. Out of 183,000 registered voters in Leon County, 71,000 ballots were cast — a voter turnout of 39%, much higher than Florida’s overall primary turnout.
Ron DeSantis of the Republican Party has served as Florida’s governor since 2019, making him ineligible for re-election. This resulted in a crowded ballot in the Republican primary, with Representative Byron Donalds ultimately winning with 810,000 votes (48%) over Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins (25%), James Fishback (11%), Paul Renner (9%) and Bobby Williams (4%). The Democratic primary for governor was largely uncontested, with former Republican Representative David Jolly winning with 760,000 votes (61%). Donalds is favored to defeat Jolly on Nov. 3, 2026.
With John Dailey choosing not to seek a third term for Tallahassee mayor, four candidates filed to run. Tallahassee mayoral elections are nonpartisan, meaning that there are no separate primaries for Democrat and Republican candidates. Gaines Street Pies owner Jeremy Matlow was the front-runner with 15,000 votes (36%) over former Senator Loranne Ausley (34%) and attorney Daryl Parks (25%). The runoff for Tallahassee mayor between Matlow and Ausley will take place in the general election on Nov. 3, 2026, with no clear favorite.
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