Scott Charles Maddox (born March 13, 1968) is an American politician. He was the mayor of Tallahassee, Florida, from 1995 to 1996 and from 1997 to 2005.[3] Maddox is the former chair of the Florida Democratic Party and a former Tallahassee City Commissioner, serving from 1993 to 1995, 1996 to 1997 and from 2012 to 2018.
Scott Maddox | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Tallahassee City Commission for Seat 1 | |
| In office November 19, 2012 – December 12, 2018[1] | |
| Preceded by | Mark Mustian |
| Succeeded by | Elaine W. Bryant |
| Chair of the Florida Democratic Party | |
| In office January 4, 2003 – September 13, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Bob Poe[2] |
| Succeeded by | Karen Thurman |
| 122nd and 124th Mayor of Tallahassee | |
| In office February 28, 1997 – February 28, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Ron Weaver |
| Succeeded by | John Marks |
| In office March 2, 1995 – March 1, 1996 | |
| Preceded by | Penny Herman |
| Succeeded by | Ron Weaver |
| Member of the Tallahassee City Commission | |
| In office February 1993 – March 1995 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Scott Charles Maddox March 13, 1968 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Florida State University (BS, JD) |
Maddox was indicted on December 12, 2018, on 44 charges, including racketeering, bribery, extortion, bank fraud and wire fraud, in an FBI investigation into corruption that played a key role in Democrat Andrew Gillum’s campaign for Florida governor.[4] Maddox was suspended from the Tallahassee City Commission following the indictment and subsequently replaced after the appointment of Commissioner Elaine W. Bryant, Ph.D. on December 31, 2018.[5] In September 2021, Maddox was sentenced to five years in prison.[6][7] He was released on May 9, 2023.
Early life and education
editScott Maddox was born in Hialeah, Florida, and raised in the rural area of Homestead, Florida, and later, in Tallahassee, Florida. He graduated from Leon High School and attended Florida State University, where he earned a B.S. in political science and public administration. He went on to earn a J.D. from Florida State University College of Law. Maddox was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order men's fraternity.
Political career
editIn 1990, at the age of 22, Maddox ran for the Florida House of Representative's 10th district, but lost the Democratic primary by 32%. In 1993, while still in law school, Maddox became the youngest city commissioner in the city of Tallahassee's history, being elected at the age of 24, and a year later selected to become mayor pro-tempore. In 1995, the city commission chose Maddox as the city's mayor, where he worked towards improving race relations and overseeing a large expansion of city parks, greenways, and trails.[citation needed] After the residents of Tallahassee passed a referendum calling for popular elections for the office of mayor, Maddox became Tallahassee's first popularly elected city mayor in 1996.[8] In 1999, he served as president of the Florida League of Cities. Described as a "rising star" by Vice President Al Gore, Maddox spoke at the 2000 Democratic National Convention. Maddox attempted a run for Attorney General of Florida in 2002, but lost to future Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer in the Democratic primary. In 2003, Maddox was elected chairman of the Florida Democratic Party and also served as a member of the Democratic National Committee. Though Maddox announced a run for Governor of Florida in 2006,[9] he ultimately dropped out of the race. In 2010, he served as the Democratic nominee for Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, losing to Republican nominee Adam Putnam. Maddox was elected to the Tallahassee City Commission once again in 2012. In 2015, he announced a run for Superintendent of Leon County Schools. After failing to gain traction in the Democratic primary, Maddox dropped out during qualifying week. He was subsequently re-elected to the city commission in August 2016.
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Buddy Dyer | 457,704 | 37.2 | |
| Democratic | Scott Maddox | 429,651 | 34.9 | |
| Democratic | George H. Sheldon | 272,517 | 22.1 | |
| Democratic | Walt Dartland | 71,952 | 5.8 | |
| Total votes | 1,231,824 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Adam H. Putnam | 2,908,086 | 55.94 | |
| Democratic | Scott Maddox | 1,983,277 | 38.15 | |
| Tea Party of Florida | Ira Chester | 203,598 | 3.92 | |
| Independent | Thad Hamilton | 103,717 | 2.00 | |
| Total votes | 5,198,678 | 100 | ||
References
edit- ^ "Gov. Scott suspends Scott Maddox". 12 December 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-12-13. Retrieved 2018-12-14.
- ^ "Tallahassee mayor selected to chair Democratic Party". News-Press. Fort Myers, Florida. 2003-01-05. p. 58. Archived from the original on 2022-03-02. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
- ^ "State: Florida Democrats see mayor as savior". St. Petersburg Times. 2002-12-30. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2017-10-17.
- ^ Skoneki, Gray; Rohrer, Mark (10 December 2018). "Tallahassee's Scott Maddox indicted in case that rocked Andrew Gillum's Florida race for governor". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2021-07-15. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
- ^ "Tallahassee City Commission fills Seat 1 vacancy left by Scott Maddox". 31 December 2018. Archived from the original on 1 January 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ "Former Tallahassee City Commissioner and Business Partner Sentenced for Years-Long Bribery Scheme". 9 September 2021. Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ "Day of reckoning: Scott Maddox sentenced to 5 years in prison in federal corruption case". Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
- ^ Ian Urbina (2006-09-09). "Baby-Faced Mayor Takes Over an Aging Pittsburgh". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2017-10-17. Retrieved 2017-10-17.
- ^ "Scott Maddox, no farmer, wants to be ag commissioner". Orlando Sentinel. 2009-07-07. Archived from the original on 2011-11-01. Retrieved 2011-03-26.
- ^ "September 10, 2002 Primary Election". Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2017-12-25.
- ^ "November 2, 2010 General Election". Archived from the original on 2011-10-03. Retrieved 2017-12-25.
External links
edit- Scott Maddox Archived 2011-02-01 at the Wayback Machine - Official campaign website.
- Archived Mayoral Page (March 2, 2001)
- Appearances on C-SPAN