Jeremy Matlow and Loranne Ausley lead the mayoral field, while P.J. Perez tops Seat 3 and Dianne Williams-Cox leads Seat 5 in unofficial election-night results.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Tallahassee voters appear headed back to the polls in November to decide the city’s next mayor and two City Commission seats after no candidate secured a majority in the three major municipal contests Tuesday.

With 72 of 80 participating city precincts reporting, City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow held a narrow lead in the four-way race for mayor, while former state Sen. Loranne Ausley was running second, according to unofficial Leon County election-night results.

UP TO THE MINUTE TALLAHASSEE ELECTION RESULTS

Matlow had 14,541 votes, or 35.95%, while Ausley had 13,744 votes, or 33.98%.

Former Leon County Commissioner Daryl Parks was third with 10,156 votes, or 25.11%, while Michael Shawn Foust had 2,009 votes, or 4.97%.

With neither Matlow nor Ausley reaching 50%, the two leading candidates are positioned to advance to a November runoff if the standings hold as remaining ballots are counted.

Matlow, Ausley lead race to become Tallahassee mayor

The mayor’s race is one of the biggest changes facing Tallahassee city government this election cycle.

Matlow entered the contest after serving on the City Commission, while Ausley brought experience from the Florida Legislature. Parks previously served on the Leon County Commission.

Tuesday’s preliminary numbers show just 797 votes separating Matlow and Ausley for first place.

The November contest would give Tallahassee voters a direct choice between the top two finishers after a primary campaign divided among four candidates.

P.J. Perez leads crowded Seat 3 race

The contest for Tallahassee City Commission Seat 3 was even more fragmented, with six candidates competing.

P.J. Perez led the field Tuesday night with 11,340 votes, or 29.03%.

Behind Perez was Tom Derzypolski, who had 10,414 votes, or 26.66%.

Talethia O. Edwards was close behind in third with 10,169 votes, or 26.03% — leaving only 245 votes separating second and third place in the preliminary count.

The remaining candidates were:

Darryl “Dar Wavemaker” Alfred — 2,839 votes, 7.27%

Maxwell “Max” Herrle — 2,379 votes, 6.09%

Norm Roche — 1,920 votes, 4.92%

Because Perez remained well below 50%, the top two candidates would advance to November.

But with Derzypolski and Edwards separated by fewer than 250 votes in the latest results, the battle for the second runoff position remained one of Tallahassee’s closest races Tuesday night.

Williams-Cox leads Seat 5, Inman-Johnson second

The City Commission Seat 5 race also appears headed for a November runoff.

Incumbent Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox led the three-candidate field with 15,321 votes, or 39.78%.

Former Tallahassee Mayor and City Commissioner Dot Inman-Johnson was second with 14,100 votes, or 36.61%.

Tifany Hill was third with 9,093 votes, or 23.61%.

That put Williams-Cox approximately 1,200 votes ahead of Inman-Johnson, but neither candidate was close to the majority needed to avoid a runoff.

If the results hold, Williams-Cox and Inman-Johnson will meet head-to-head in November.

Municipal races reshape Tallahassee political landscape

The three contests could significantly reshape Tallahassee City Hall.

Voters are selecting a mayor while simultaneously deciding two of the commission’s four other seats, meaning this election cycle could alter a majority of the five-member commission.

The results are particularly significant because Tallahassee’s municipal elections are nonpartisan, allowing registered city voters to participate regardless of political party.

The races appeared on the same Aug. 18 ballot as Florida’s partisan primary contests.

Results remain unofficial

The numbers remained unofficial Tuesday night, with 72 of the 80 participating precincts reporting when the Leon County Supervisor of Elections posted the results used in this report.

Leon County election officials will continue processing outstanding results before conducting the canvass and certification process.

That remaining count could be particularly important in Seat 3, where Derzypolski and Edwards were separated by just 245 votes for the second position.

If the current standings hold, Tallahassee voters would return to the polls Nov. 3 for three major municipal matchups: Matlow against Ausley for mayor, Perez against the eventual second-place Seat 3 finisher, and Williams-Cox against Inman-Johnson for Seat 5.