Kristin Dozier files to run for mayor of Tallahassee

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - Leon County Commissioner Kristin Dozier has announced she will run for mayor of Tallahassee.

In an interview with WCTV, Dozier said the controversial Blueprint decision to fund repairs to Doak Campbell Stadium was the catalyst for her to run.

“I’m running for mayor because we deserve a mayor who listens to all voices, not just a select few. We need a mayor who’s looking for solutions that benefit the whole community and keep moving us forward. I think recent decisions have gone in the wrong direction,” Dozier said.

Dozier said she has been let down by the current mayor, John Dailey.

“Unfortunately, a lot of us have been very disappointed in the last few years. This is not a personal issue. This is about having a difference of policy and a difference in opinion for how city government should work and the future of Tallahassee,” Dozier said.

Dailey responded with a lengthy statement:

“I’m proud to stand on my record as Mayor.

I’ve made job creation and ethics reform a top priority. We’ve created thousands of good high paying jobs and passed the strongest ethics reform package in the state.

Together our community has weathered a once in a century global pandemic and the worst economic downturn since the Great Recession - and we did it by taking swift and decisive action to help our neighbors, local small businesses, and nonprofits. We’ve invested in our neighborhoods, our roads, our sidewalks, and our parks, and we’re not finished.

And what has Kristin Dozier done?

She has repeatedly voted no on voter-approved projects to improve our roads, sidewalks, parks, and flood mitigation.

Over and over again she has voted no to bring good high paying jobs to our community.

She even voted no to investing more than $250 million in the historically underinvested Southside of Tallahassee.

This isn’t just a vote here or there. It’s a clear and consistent pattern of saying “NO” to protecting our quality of life and improving the things our voters say they want improved.

We’ve addressed our challenges head on and we’re coming back even stronger because we’ve had steady, experienced leadership in the Mayor’s office.

This is how we make Tallahassee better today than it was yesterday and better tomorrow than it is today.”

You can read WCTV’s original story about Dozier’s mayoral run below.

Leon County Commissioner Kristin Dozier officially filed paperwork Thursday morning to run for mayor of Tallahassee, according to the Leon County Supervisor of Elections Campaign Finance Reporting website.

Dozier’s name appeared on that website after she said on Facebook Wednesday she would be making an “important announcement about Tallahassee’s future direction.” Dozier said that announcement will come via Facebook Live at 5 p.m. Thursday on her official page.

On Nov. 12, 2021, which was exactly a year away from election day, Dozier announced she would not seek reelection to her District 5 County Commission seat.

“I am so profoundly grateful for the support of the residents of District 5 for the last 11 years, and they deserve a really good, strong representative,” she told WCTV in November.

At the time, she did not disclose what was next for her.

Dozier was first elected to the commission in November 2010. She is currently in her third term as the District 5 commissioner. According to the Leon County website, she served as the board’s chairman for 2013-14 after her fellow commissioners tapped her for the role.

The elections campaign finance reporting website indicates the other candidates for the mayoral seat are incumbent John Dailey and Whitfield Leland III.

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