Jason Delgado
Republican hopeful Jim Kallinger threw his hat into the ring Friday for a run at House District 9 in Tallahassee.
Kallinger’s experience includes time as the State Representative of HD 35 from 2001 to 2004, President of the Florida Faith and Freedom Coalition and co-chairman of Consumers for Smart Solar.
He also serves as a Senior Strategist for Front Line Strategies in political and issues campaigns.
Kallinger is the second Republican to join the race for HD 9. Others in the race include three other democratic candidates and one NPA candidate.
Kallinger will find a formidable opponent in Allison Tant, who is the former chair of the Florida Democratic Party and an honorary board member of the Children’s Home Society of Florida, which provides various services to Florida parents and children.
Tant announced she’d run for the Tallahassee seat shortly after Rep. Loranne Ausley announced she would forego a third term in order to run for state Sen. Bill Montford’s nearby District 3 seat in 2020 — when Montford, also a Democrat, will be termed-out.
Since then she has built a considerable war chest of campaign contributions and endorsements that include the Equality Florida Action PAC, a pro-LGBTQ civil rights political committee.
According to a May campaign finance activity report, Tant has pulled in nearly $300,00 in contributions since January.
HD 9 covers the bulk of Leon County and holds advantages for Democratic candidates.
