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City of Tallahassee
John E. Dailey
Mayor, City of Tallahassee, Florida (127th Mayor; first elected Nov 6, 2018 with 51.4% in runoff vs. Dustin Daniels; re-elected Nov 8, 2022 with 53.1% in runoff vs. Kristin Dozier; current term ends Nov 16, 2026; announced Aug 11, 2025 he will NOT seek a third term — open-seat 2026 race)
Democrat
RESOLUTE Citizen Score
62
/ 100
D
Raw: 10 of 16 dynamic max
· 8 of 30 answered
Local tier30 of 50 rubric questions apply at this office level — federal-only questions are marked N/A and excluded from the dynamic max. How tier grading works →
Last verified: · scorecard-level timestamp
✝ God First
6/ 70
🏛️ Local First
4/ 30
National Rank
#4,567 of 8,966 · bottom 49.1% among candidates with at least one scored answer
See the full rankings →Contact This Official
Reach out directly. Your voice matters. Proverbs 29:2 — When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.
Official Profile
Religion: Professed Christian; attends Faith Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee; publicly participated in citywide day of fasting and prayer for Tallahassee in March 2021
Education: BA Political Science, Florida State University; MPA, Reubin O'D. Askew School of Public Administration & Policy (FSU); MA Urban and Regional Planning, London School of Economics
Birthplace: Tallahassee, Florida
Background: 127th Mayor of Tallahassee, Democrat. Born Dec 7, 1972 in Miami. Served three terms on Leon County Commission District 3 (2006-2018), chairing 2010-11 and 2016-17. Elected Mayor Nov 6, 2018 (succeeded Andrew Gillum); re-elected 2022. Announced Aug 11, 2025 he will not seek a third term; 2026 mayoral race is open-seat. Wife Virginia; two sons. Father (J. Scott Dailey) was a Leon County School Board member. Sigma Chi at FSU.
Next Election Year: 2026
X / Twitter: @MayorDailey
[2026-06 RESOLUTE refinement] Roster verified: 127th Mayor of Tallahassee, re-elected 2022, term to Nov 16, 2026; announced Aug 11, 2025 he will NOT seek a third term — 2026 race is open-seat (Wikipedia, WCTV). HIGH-VALUE DEVIATION #1: Dailey is a professed Christian who attends Faith Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee; publicly participated in the citywide day of fasting and prayer for Tallahassee in March 2021 — christian_liberty q0 TRUE (FloridaCapitalTea, WCTV). HARD evidence on cultural cells: voted YES (3-2) on Oct 2021 abortion-access resolution with Matlow + Porter (Richardson + Williams-Cox dissented) — sanctity_of_life q0 FALSE (WCTV, Tallahassee Reports). Issued annual June Pride Month proclamations as Mayor ('hate has no place here'); endorsed by Equality Florida — biblical_marriage q4 FALSE (WTXL). Signed July 2023 GLSEN Rise Up pledge backing LGBTQ youth advocacy in the face of state laws restricting gender-identity content — biblical_marriage q3 FALSE (Tallahassee Reports). HIGH-VALUE DEVIATION #2: voted (3-2 with Williams-Cox and Richardson) AGAINST rescinding TPD's 287(g) ICE agreement Oct 22-23, 2025; said city must follow legal opinion and remain 'in full compliance' with state/federal law — border_immigration q1 TRUE, q2 TRUE (WFSU, Tallahassee Reports). HIGH-VALUE DEVIATION #3: AFFIRMATIVE pro-police record — Big Bend PBA publicly stated 'Dailey never cut police funding' (2022 mailer rebuttal of his Dem challenger Dozier); consistently voted to increase TPD staffing and salaries; FY2024 budget specifically funded 20 new TPD officers; voted Jan 15, 2025 to repeal the Citizens Police Review Board after state HB 601 limited oversight authority — public_justice q0 TRUE, q3 TRUE (Tallahassee Reports, WTXL). ECON: deciding YES vote (3-2) Sept 27, 2023 for $1.12B FY2024 budget with 4.45 millage = 8.5% above rollback; voted YES again Sept 2024 on FY2025 budget at 4.42 millage above rollback — economic_stewardship q2 FALSE (WFSU, Tallahassee Reports). HOME RULE: leftward defiance of FL preemption on HB1 anti-protest bill ('overreach and disregard of home rule'); under conservative-rubric reading this is null on refuse_state_overreach q0. NO direct city-level evidence on schools (mayor lane), election administration, christian-liberty q1-q2, public_justice q1-q2, or self-defense (FL preemption) — those cells null. Endorsed by Equality Florida but opposed by Ruth's List (which backed his 2022 Dem challenger Dozier with a 'misogynistic' attack frame) — confirms his right-flank-Dem positioning.
Category Breakdown
Candidate (if District Attorney) has committed to prosecuting illegal abortion procedures; (if mayor/council) has supported pro-life city resolutions or refused to declare 'sanctuary city for abortion'
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes embryonic stem-cell research, IVF embryo discard, and chimeric experimentation
N/A · out of tier
Candidate opposes euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, and quality-of-life rationing
N/A · out of tier
Candidate has never accepted Planned Parenthood, NARAL, EMILY's List, or abortion-industry PAC funding
N/A · out of tier
Candidate affirms marriage as exclusively the lifelong union of one man and one woman as instituted by God
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes all forms of same-sex marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships in law
N/A · out of tier
Candidate opposes city/county trans-affirming policies (bathroom mandates on private businesses, Pride flag raisings at city hall, pronouns-required HR rules)
Not yet verified
Candidate supports no-fault divorce reform and policies that strengthen the marriage covenant
N/A · out of tier
Candidate opposes city/county Pride proclamations, Pride flags at city facilities, drag programming in libraries, and LGBT-affirming K-12 curriculum (school-board-relevant)
FALSE (0)[3]
Candidate (school board) opts the district into school-choice transfers + protects homeschool freedom + opposes truancy-based criminal referrals
Not yet verified
Candidate (school board) requires parental notification before any gender/sexuality counseling of minors; (mayor/council) opposes city programs facilitating minor medical procedures without parents
Not yet verified
Candidate (school board) has voted to remove CRT/SOGI/comprehensive-sex-ed/gender-ideology materials from district curriculum and library shelves
Not yet verified
Candidate (mayor/council/library board) supports local enforcement of age-verification + removes sexualized content from library children's sections
N/A · out of tier
Candidate supports faith-based adoption/foster agencies and opposes placement of children with same-sex couples
N/A · out of tier
Candidate affirms the right to publicly profess Christ in all spheres (workplace, military, public office, schools)
Candidate supports conscience exemptions for Christian medical professionals, business owners, adoption agencies, and educators
N/A · out of tier
Candidate (city/county/school board) opposes mandatory pronoun policies for staff + employees + students
Not yet verified
Candidate (mayor/council) supports city/county Christian displays (Ten Commandments, Nativity scenes), invocation prayer at meetings, Sunday-closure where chosen by community
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes city-funded non-Christian religious displays/programming (Ramadan illumination, etc.) at city facilities
Not yet verified
Candidate (city/county) opposes city participation in CBDC pilot programs + supports cash-acceptance ordinances for local businesses
N/A · out of tier
Candidate supports sound-money policies including gold/silver as constitutional money and audit/abolition of the Federal Reserve
N/A · out of tier
Candidate (mayor/council) has voted against deficit-bond issuances for non-capital city expenditures + supports balanced city budgets without service cuts via tax increases on residents
Candidate supports usury limits, anti-debt-slavery protections, and tithe-friendly tax structures
N/A · out of tier
Candidate (city/county) has voted to remove city pension/treasury investment in ESG-aligned funds + opposes city participation in WEF-aligned sister-city programs
N/A · out of tier
Candidate (city clerk/county election official) supports hand-counted paper ballots at local precincts where state law permits
Not yet verified
Candidate (city clerk/election official) enforces state photo voter ID + citizenship verification at local precincts
Not yet verified
Candidate supports single-day in-person voting with absentee only for verified medical/military exceptions
N/A · out of tier
Candidate opposes mass mail-in voting, drop boxes, and ballot harvesting
N/A · out of tier
Candidate (city clerk/council) refused acceptance of private election-administration grants ('Zuckerbucks')
Not yet verified
Candidate supports completed physical border barrier and active military border presence
N/A · out of tier
Candidate (DA/sheriff) cooperates with ICE detainers + transfers; (mayor/council) supports local cooperation with ICE rather than sanctuary policies
Candidate (city/county) has voted against local sanctuary-city ordinances + supports city cooperation with federal immigration enforcement
TRUE (+2)[8]
Candidate supports mandatory E-Verify for all employment and benefit eligibility
N/A · out of tier
Candidate opposes birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens, tourist births, and opposes foreign ownership of U.S. farmland
N/A · out of tier
Candidate (mayor/council) opposes local gun-registry ordinances + local gun-shop zoning restrictions
Not yet verified
Candidate (city/council) opposes local-ordinance red-flag/magazine/AWB analogs + local gun-shop zoning restrictions
Not yet verified
Candidate supports repeal of the National Firearms Act (NFA), Gun Control Act (GCA), and other federal gun regulations
N/A · out of tier
Candidate supports castle doctrine and stand-your-ground laws with full civil immunity for lawful defense
N/A · out of tier
Candidate opposes ATF overreach, citizen disarmament initiatives, and U.N. small-arms treaty participation
N/A · out of tier
Candidate has publicly backed law enforcement and opposed defunding/dismantling police
Candidate opposes cashless-bail, soft-on-crime, and rogue-prosecutor (e.g. Soros-DA) policy
Not yet verified
Candidate supports victim restitution and proportional punishment of evildoers
Not yet verified
Candidate refuses to treat violent crime as a "public health" excuse to avoid punishment
TRUE (+2)[10]
Candidate affirms the magistrate's God-ordained duty to bear the sword (Rom. 13:4)
Not yet verified
Official has asserted local control against unconstitutional state mandates
Not yet verified
Official has declined state strings that compel ungodly or unconstitutional local policy
Not yet verified
Official has protected local citizens from state overreach (lockdowns, mandates, ESG)
Not yet verified
Official affirms subsidiarity — decisions made at the lowest competent level
Not yet verified
Official has refused to enforce unconstitutional state directives
Not yet verified
Sources & Evidence
1 Center2 Official16 Other
Ballotpedia ProfileCenter
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_E._DaileyEncyclopedia
Bias ratings sourced from AllSides and Ad Fontes Media. Classifications for government, reference, and advocacy domains are maintained by U.S.M.C. Ministries; see source_bias.json.
References & footnotes
Every answer above with a [n] marker corresponds to one of the footnotes below. Wayback-archive links preserve the page as it read at our access date so a reader can verify the citation even if the original URL changes or disappears.
- [1]Voted YES (3-2) Oct 27, 2021 with Matlow + Porter on Tallahassee resolution urging FL Legislature to protect access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion. Unclassified
Voted YES (3-2) Oct 27, 2021 with Matlow + Porter on Tallahassee resolution urging FL Legislature to protect access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion.
- [2]Voted YES (3-2) Oct 27, 2021 with Matlow + Porter on Tallahassee resolution urging FL Legislature to protect access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion. Unclassified
Voted YES (3-2) Oct 27, 2021 with Matlow + Porter on Tallahassee resolution urging FL Legislature to protect access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion.
- [3]Issued annual June Pride Month proclamations as Mayor ('hate has no place here'); also issued LGBTQ+ History Month proclamation; endorsed by Equality Florida. Unclassified
Issued annual June Pride Month proclamations as Mayor ('hate has no place here'); also issued LGBTQ+ History Month proclamation; endorsed by Equality Florida.
- [4]Identified as a 'professed Christian' who attends Faith Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee; publicly participated in citywide day of fasting and prayer for Tallahassee in March 2021. Unclassified
Identified as a 'professed Christian' who attends Faith Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee; publicly participated in citywide day of fasting and prayer for Tallahassee in March 2021.
- [5]Identified as a 'professed Christian' who attends Faith Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee; publicly participated in citywide day of fasting and prayer for Tallahassee in March 2021. Unclassified
Identified as a 'professed Christian' who attends Faith Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee; publicly participated in citywide day of fasting and prayer for Tallahassee in March 2021.
- [6]Deciding YES vote (3-2) Sept 27, 2023 for FY2024 $1.12B budget at 4.45 millage = 8.5% increase above rollback; YES again Sept 2024 on FY2025 budget at 4.42 millage (rollback would have required ~$3.9M in cuts). Unclassified
Deciding YES vote (3-2) Sept 27, 2023 for FY2024 $1.12B budget at 4.45 millage = 8.5% increase above rollback; YES again Sept 2024 on FY2025 budget at 4.42 millage (rollback would have required ~$3.9M in cuts).
- [7]Deciding YES vote (3-2) Sept 27, 2023 for FY2024 $1.12B budget at 4.45 millage = 8.5% increase above rollback; YES again Sept 2024 on FY2025 budget at 4.42 millage (rollback would have required ~$3.9M in cuts). Unclassified
Deciding YES vote (3-2) Sept 27, 2023 for FY2024 $1.12B budget at 4.45 millage = 8.5% increase above rollback; YES again Sept 2024 on FY2025 budget at 4.42 millage (rollback would have required ~$3.9M in cuts).
- [8]Voted Oct 22, 2025 (3-2) to MAINTAIN Tallahassee's 287(g) ICE agreement against the Matlow/Porter motion to rescind; said city must follow legal opinion and remain 'in full compliance' with state/federal law. Tallahassee is functionally not a sanctuary jurisdiction. Unclassified
Voted Oct 22, 2025 (3-2) to MAINTAIN Tallahassee's 287(g) ICE agreement against the Matlow/Porter motion to rescind; said city must follow legal opinion and remain 'in full compliance' with state/federal law. Tallahassee is functionally not a sanctuary jurisdiction.
- [9]Voted Oct 22, 2025 (3-2) to MAINTAIN Tallahassee's 287(g) ICE agreement against the Matlow/Porter motion to rescind; said city must follow legal opinion and remain 'in full compliance' with state/federal law. Tallahassee is functionally not a sanctuary jurisdiction. Unclassified
Voted Oct 22, 2025 (3-2) to MAINTAIN Tallahassee's 287(g) ICE agreement against the Matlow/Porter motion to rescind; said city must follow legal opinion and remain 'in full compliance' with state/federal law. Tallahassee is functionally not a sanctuary jurisdiction.
- [10]Big Bend PBA publicly stated 'Dailey never cut police funding'; FY2024 budget specifically funded 20 new TPD officers + salary increases; voted Jan 15, 2025 to repeal CPRB after state law HB 601 limited oversight authority. Unclassified
Big Bend PBA publicly stated 'Dailey never cut police funding'; FY2024 budget specifically funded 20 new TPD officers + salary increases; voted Jan 15, 2025 to repeal CPRB after state law HB 601 limited oversight authority.
- [11]Big Bend PBA publicly stated 'Dailey never cut police funding'; FY2024 budget specifically funded 20 new TPD officers + salary increases; voted Jan 15, 2025 to repeal CPRB after state law HB 601 limited oversight authority. Unclassified
Big Bend PBA publicly stated 'Dailey never cut police funding'; FY2024 budget specifically funded 20 new TPD officers + salary increases; voted Jan 15, 2025 to repeal CPRB after state law HB 601 limited oversight authority.
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