TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Joe Kalicki, candidate for Tallahassee City Commission Seat 5, is suspending his campaign and intends to withdraw from the race, he announced on Monday.
Kalicki took to social media to announce his withdrawal from the race, saying he is proud of the results of his campaign so far.
“I’m very proud of ideas we got into the public discourse and that we raised over $20,000 in three months,” Kalicki wrote. “I feel I’ve had increasingly strong showings at our recent forum.”
However, he said there are many reasons behind his decision, some he said are strategic and some are just him “being honest about what I’m good at and what I’m not good at.”
Kalicki explained that he understands the need to increase campaign effort, but said he cannot increase to the degree he needs without hurting his full-time job or maintaining his health and wellbeing.
“I am dropping now so that the electorate has the chance to react: by getting behind currently filed candidates,” he wrote. “For someone to switch races, or for someone with name recognition to enter the race.”
Despite withdrawing, Kalicki said he is not disappearing. “I have a mountain of immediately actionable efforts I’ll be undertaking,” he said
In his post, Kalicki emphasized that no one asked him to drop out. “This was based on my own self-assessment and projections over the next 90+ days,” he wrote.
For those who have donated to his campaign, Kalicki said he intents to pro-rate and return the remaining campaign funds. Those who have donated in the last seven days should be receiving a full refund. He also said he will be asking people to see if they are comfortable with their share of the campaign into a charitable donation.
You can read Kalicki’s full statement on his Facebook page.
The commission seat is currently held by Dianne Williams-Cox, who is seeking reelection. Her opponents now include Tifany Hill and Bernard Stevens II.
To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Nextdoor and X (Twitter).
Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here. Please include the article’s headline in your message.
Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here to get started.
Copyright 2026 WCTV. All rights reserved.