Former Tallahassee mayor Dot Inman-Johnson is making another attempt to return to the city commission.
On May 6, Inman-Johnson filed to run for City Commission Seat 5 — the one Dianne Williams-Cox currently holds. And once again, she is facing off against a multi-term incumbent.
Last election cycle, Inman-Johnson went head-to-head with Commissioner Curtis Richardson. He narrowly won reelection in the 2024 general election, capturing 50.71% of the vote. Inman-Johnson took 49.29%, ultimately stopping a progressive takeover at City Hall.
In 1984, Inman-Johnson was appointed to fill a vacancy on the commission, making her the first Black woman on the panel. She later was elected to fill the seat and served as the first Black female mayor, which then rotated among the commissioners.
Williams-Cox, first elected in 2018, is now the third Black woman to serve on the commission, including former Commissioner Elaine Bryant.
In an interview with the Tallahassee Democrat during the 2024 election cycle, Inman-Johnson told a reporter she encouraged Williams-Cox to run for city or county commission and even acted as an “unofficial campaign advisor” for her when she unsuccessfully ran for state representative.
Inman-Johnson has remained prominent local voice
Though it’s been years since Inman-Johnson has been an elected official, she has remained a prominent voice around City Hall, attending meetings and speaking out on hot-button issues.
She’s opined publicly on contract negotiations between firefighters and the city, the sale of Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare to Florida State University and more.
The news of Inman-Johnson’s return to the political arena comes a day after Joe Kalicki, a technology professional, announced he would be dropping out of the race for Seat 5.
“I am dropping now so that the electorate has the chance to react by getting behind currently filed candidates opposing DWC, for someone to switch races, or for someone with name recognition to enter the race,” he said in a social media post.
“Dianne Williams-Cox still deserves to be beat, and she can be beat.”
This is a developing news story. Check back later for more.
Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @elenabarreraaa.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Dot Inman-Johnson announces bid for Tallahassee city commission
Reporting by Elena Barrera, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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