TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - In the race to be Tallahassee's next mayor, John Dailey is in the lead with 40 percent of the vote.
But in order to win, candidates in a nonpartisan race must get over 50 percent of the vote.
Dustin Daniels is next with about 26 percent of the vote, followed by Michelle Rehwinkle Vasilinda. Dailey and Daniels will head to a runoff in November.
Tallahassee will have to vote for mayor one more time.
The race now goes to a runoff between John Dailey and Dustin Daniels. The two were expected by many to be in the front of the pack.
County commissioner John Dailey celebrated at Coosh's in CollegeTown.
He was greeted by a huge crowd of supporters, including Sheriff Walt McNeil and State Attorney Jack Campbell. He gave a quick speech Tuesday night, thanking everyone for believing in his mission.
Meanwhile, Dustin Daniels was across the street at Township. The former chief of staff for Mayor Gillum was in good spirits, too. He said his goal was to get on the November ballot, where he feels he has a stronger chance of winning.
"Look, I've got the experience here in Tallahassee -- being from Tallahassee, served on the county commission, worked in municipal government, and we're ready to transform and write the next chapter and move our community forward to be a true 21st-century city -- and the message has been very well-received," said Dailey.
"We know that there's going to be a lot more voters at the table that are more diverse, that are younger, that are more progressive, and we look forward to sharing our vision for what our community could be with them as we move forward," said Daniels.
Commissioner Dailey led the race the entire time by double digits. His supporters told me they knew he had a good chance of winning tonight, and they're confident he'll repeat in November.
