As Tallahassee voters prepare to choose their next mayor, the two candidates hoping to lead the capital city will make their case in a live forum hosted today by the Tallahassee Democrat, the media partners in the Capital Region News Collaborative and the League of Women Voters.
Tallahassee City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow and former state Sen. Loranne Ausley will face off Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. during an hour-long debate at WFSU Studios ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
The race could determine if a progressive slate takes control of City Hall.
The forum will be livestreamed and replayed at the top of this story and archived on the Tallahassee Democrat’s YouTube page.
Learn more about the raceCandidate forum schedule: How to watch
(Links will take you to replays of forums that have already happened or let you sign up to be notified when they are happening.)
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
County Commission District 3 candidate forum
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Leon County Commission District 3 candidates C.B. Lorch and incumbent Rick Minor participate in a forum Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
3 p.m. to 4 p.m. — Leon County Commission District 5: David T. Hawkins and David O’Keefe (CANCELLED – Hawkins declined the invitation to debate.)
Forums will be broadcast live at the Tallahassee Democrat’s Facebook page, the Tallahassee Democrat’s YouTube Channel and on Tallahassee.com. They will be archived on our YouTube page under the playlist “2026 General Election Candidate Forums.”
Download our app from the App Store or Google Play to receive text notifications 5 minutes before each forum starts. Or “like” our Facebook page or click the “Notify Me” button on YouTube to be notified whenever we go live.
Media partners will also be streaming the forums, archiving them on their sites, and WFSU will be airing replays of the forums on the radio on 88.9 FM.
▶ Have a burning question on a city or county issue you’d like the candidates to address in an upcoming forum? Submit your query to news@tallahassee.com and we’ll consider it in the mix.
More about the candidate forums
This year, we are building on our partnership with the League of Women Voters of Tallahassee and WFSU to broadcast our award-winning candidate forums before the primary and general elections.
We are excited to join the Capital Region News Collaborative, a media consortium made up of TV, radio, newspaper and digital reporters, editors and anchors that will host the forums.
The forums are made possible through the support of Press Forward North Florida, an initiative of the Community Foundation of North Florida. Press Forward brings together journalists, nonprofit leaders, educators, and community stakeholders to identify needs and create sustainable solutions that enhance civic engagement and strengthen trusted local news for years to come.
The Tallahassee Democrat will be teaming up with the League and Collaborative partners WFSU, WCTV, WTXL, Capital Outlook and Tallahassee Reports to question the candidates.
The Capital Region News Collaborative is a coalition of local newsrooms working together to expand reporting and better serve the region.
Our election guides to the candidates and issues
Our special general election guide will be printed in the paper on Sunday, Oct. 18 ahead of early voting. It will cover all the races – local, state and national – on your ballot and will include an analysis of all the amendments facing voters.
You’ll also be able to access all that information and more at our 2026 online Ultimate Election Guide at tallahassee.com.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: WATCH LIVE: Jeremy Matlow, Loranne Ausley debate in Tallahassee mayor race