A Tallahassee political action committee that has raked in more than $400,000 as part of a 2026 electioneering blitz got a sizeable donation from none other than Florida State University head football coach Mike Norvell.
Norvell gave $10,000 to the Local Economic Solutions Committee on July 23, according to state campaign finance reports.
It’s not crystal clear which candidates or causes are getting help from the political committee — which is stacked with donations from current and former FSU officials and wealthy alumni. Its mailers and ads have yet to surface.
It dropped a major clue, whenever, when it gave $20,000 to Tallahassee United PC, a political committee behind mailers for City Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox, who’s seeking reelection, and Talethia Edwards, who’s running for City Commission Seat 3. (Political committees in Florida can and often do contribute to other political committees.)
A request for comment is pending with Norvell; the people behind the political committee gave few details about its ultimate purpose in its statement of organization papers filed April 20.
The state form includes fields where the committee lists each candidate it is supporting along with issues it is either supporting or opposing. The committee’s paperwork listed all of that as “to be determined.”
The committee raised has $420,850 in the few months since it formed, according to the most recent campaign finance reports. It has spent $220,284, including the check to Tallahassee United PC on July 13. The chairperson of Tallahassee United is Remera Jones-Haynes, spouse of Chauncy Haynes, who is aide to County Commissioner Carolyn Cummings.
Local Economic Solutions Committee paid $13,000 to the Tyson Group, a consulting firm founded by GOP strategist Ryan Tyson, on June 5. It gave $175,000 to the powerful business group Associated Industries of Florida on July 21.
Among the committee’s donors are several current and former members of FSU’s Board of Trustees, including chair Peter Collins, who gave two $10,000 checks, Peter Jones, who gave $20,000, and Jim Henderson, who gave $10,000. Former FSU athletic director David Coburn gave $5,000.
Other big contributors include Conservative Florida, a political committee that gave $25,000, Warner Peacock, past chair of the Seminole Boosters board of directors, who gave $20,000, and Brett Lindquist, a member of the FSU College of Business Board of Governors who also gave $20,000.
A number of the donors have given in recent election cycles to local incumbents, including the voting majority on the Tallahassee City Commission: Mayor John Dailey, Williams-Cox and Commissioner Curtis Richardson. Dailey is bowing out in November when his second term ends, though Williams-Cox is running for reelection.
A number of donors and others linked to the committee didn’t return phone calls seeking comment, including its chairperson, John McCann, and its treasurer, Noreen Fenner, owner of PAC Financial Management.
Norvell hasn’t been known to make political donations in the past, though his wife, Maria Norvell, gave $2,000 to Dailey during his 2022 reelection campaign.
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football coach Mike Norvell gives big to new Tallahassee PAC
Reporting by Jeff Burlew, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jeff Burlew, Tallahassee Democrat | USA TODAY Network
