By james art 
Florida Elections 2024: 6 Amendments on the Nov. 5 Ballot
Six constitutional amendments, including recreational marijuana and abortion access, will be on Florida’s ballot for the November 5, 2024 general election.
As Election Day nears, races in Leon County are heating up, with both parties eager to mobilize their bases in a hotly contested political landscape.
Key contests, including the battle for Florida Senate District 3 and control of the Tallahassee City Commission, may hinge on last-minute voter enthusiasm fueled by national figures like Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
With Republican turnout extremely high, the results could signal changes in the dynamics of local government and the broader political landscape in Tallahassee.
With that in mind, here are some of the races and issues to watch as the last voters head to the polls on Tuesday:
Will Harris or Trump Face Ballots in Leon County?
With the presidential election still showing a near tie in the race 24 hours before Election Day and thousands of votes still to be cast locally, it remains something of an open question.
A last-minute jolt of enthusiasm from both parties could change Tallahassee’s biggest and most expensive races, including matchups between Sen. Cory Simon, R-Tallahassee, and Democrat Daryl Parks for Florida Senate District 3 and City Commissioner Curtis Richardson and Dot Inman-Johnson, both Democrats, for City Commission Seat 2.
In Leon County, where Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly 2 to 1, the GOP continues to lead in electing party members. As of Monday, Republican turnout was 64.59%, while Democratic turnout was nearly 59.66%.
Evan Power, chairman of the Republican Party of Florida as well as the Leon County Republican Party, said Republicans are turning out in large numbers across the state, including in Miami-Dade County.
“We’re seeing this all over the state,” Power said. “According to the numbers I’m looking at, we have more voters. I think we will do well.”
Ryan Ray, chairman of the Leon County Democratic Executive Committee, said the party has contacted more than 100,000 voters in the past week and that turnout is “late” for Democrats. He said there was no doubt that Harris “fired up” the party.
“In a local race in Tallahassee, I would rather join that energy than be endorsed by the party of Donald Trump,” Ray said.
Will the balance of power in City Hall change?
Just one race will determine whether control of Tallahassee City Hall remains in the hands of a moderate, pro-business majority on the City Commission or falls to a more progressive one that will lead to major changes in governance.
Commissioner Curtis Richardson is hoping to reverse the results of the August primary when his challenger, Dot Inman-Johnson, defeated him. Richardson was the first black elected to the school board. Inman-Johnson was the first black woman elected to the city commission and appointed mayor.
Richardson agrees with the current majority, which includes Mayor John Daley and Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox; Inman-Johnson is supported by Commissioners Jack Porter and Jeremy Matlow.
There were positive signs for both parties in the run-up to Election Day, including high GOP turnout that could help Richardson and high student turnout that could benefit Inman-Johnson.
Will Tallahassee voters approve a pay raise for city commissioners?
A proposed Tallahassee charter amendment would double the pay of city commissioners if approved by voters, putting them on par with Leon County commissioners, whose pay is adjusted (usually upward) each year by the state based on population.
Political observers did not give it much chance of passage, and local Republican and Democratic groups endorsed it. But supporters said it’s fairer than the current system, where city commissioners, except for the mayor, earn half of what county commissioners earn.
The ballot language asks whether city commissioners should be paid the same as county commissioners and does not specifically mention a raise or doubling of city commissioners’ salaries.
If it gets more than half of the city’s votes — a lower hurdle than the 60 percent needed to amend the state constitution — city commissioners’ salaries would rise from about $49,500 to just over $99,000.
Will Rocky Khanna withstand a challenge from one of his own directors?
Incumbent Rocky Hanna is facing one of his employees, Chiles High School Principal Joe Burgess, for Leon County Schools superintendent.
Hannah has worked for the district for more than 30 years and Burgess for 25 years, both with experience as teachers and principals.
The two have had a contentious relationship in the past after Hanna suspended the principal for two weeks without pay in September 2023 for falsifying schedules. Hanna himself remains on state probation after settling, without admitting wrongdoing, allegations that he injected personal beliefs into his management of the district.
The fierce educators made their case at several forums, including one sponsored by the Tallahassee Democrat. While they mostly agree on the district’s needs, they have split on district operations, mainly over teacher and administrator salaries and staffing.
During his campaign, Hanna touted his accomplishments as superintendent over the past eight years. Burgess emphasized a greater need and care for families in the area, primarily with pay and support programs.
In terms of campaign finance, Hanna, a Democrat, had raised $196,465 in campaign funds as of Monday, Nov. 4, far ahead of Burgess, an unaffiliated candidate, with $74,716.
Will the Democrats regain the Senate seat they held since Reconstruction by 2022?
Democrats are hoping prominent civil rights attorney Daryl Parks can bring Florida’s Senate District 3 back into the Democratic column.
They are counting on a strong get-out-the-ballot effort on behalf of two constitutional initiatives in deep-blue Tallahassee to erase the partisan advantage that incumbent Simon, R-Tallahassee, has in the 12 surrounding rural counties.
The Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee spent tens of millions of dollars to defeat former Sen. Laurent Ousley, D-Tallahassee, two years ago to claim the seat that had been held by Democrats for more than 100 years and was the last district represented by a Democrat between Pensacola and Jacksonville.
Senate presidential nominee Ben Albritton of Wachula has pledged to spend “whatever it takes” to re-elect Simon.
After an all-out assault on voters’ mailboxes with glossy attack letters, the battle for the seat will come down to turnout in Leon and Gadsden counties, where half of the district’s voters live.
Two years ago, Simon won 40 percent of the vote there, two points better than previous Republican contenders. That represented a 19,000 vote deficit for Owsley in a race Simon won by 17,000.
Will the Republicans oust Tant and paint Tallahassee a deeper red?
Rep. Alison Tant, D-Tallahassee, faces her first challenger in a redistricted seat that was once entirely in Tallahassee but is now spread across three North Florida counties — where Republicans have increased voter registration in recent years.
The Republican Party has wanted the Tallahassee-based Florida House District 9 since it took control of the Florida House in 1996.
In past races, they have recruited former Florida State University football star Peter Boulware, former legislator Jim Callinger and well-known business leaders to capture a seat in a city that routinely backs Democratic candidates by more than 60 percent.
This year, 26-year-old real estate developer Spencer Brass carried the GOP banner against Tant, the 63-year-old former chairman of the Florida Democratic Party.
This year’s campaign comes with a few quirks. HD 9 used to be all Leon County, but the 2022 redistricting dropped Democratic-rich districts in south and west Tallahassee, kept northeast districts that twice voted for former President Donald Trump by double digits and combined them with two districts. which Trump won easily.
Then, while Democrats focused their resources on flipping five downstate districts to break the Republican supermajority, Florida’s House Republicans launched a multimillion-dollar ad campaign against Tant’s legislative record on health care, education and parental rights.
Brass considered a poor shot to upset Tant: Data experts say the district leans Democratic by 3 points.
Voting on Election Day: What you need to know
Voters who vote on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, must do so at their polling place. You can find your polling place at www.leonvotes.gov/YourVoterinfo. Precincts are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on election day. You must have photo identification, including a driver’s license, Florida ID, US passport, debit or credit card, military or student ID. For a complete list, visit LeonVotes.gov.