| Election Name: | 2003 Tallahassee mayoral special election |
| Country: | Florida |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Tallahassee, Florida (2002–2020).svg |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1997 Tallahassee mayoral election |
| Previous Year: | 1997 |
| Next Election: | 2006 Tallahassee mayoral election |
| Next Year: | 2006 |
| Election Date: | February 4 and February 25, 2003[1] |
| Turnout: | 32.43% (first round) 33.93% (runoff) |
| 1Blank: | First-round vote |
| 2Blank: | First-round percentage |
| 3Blank: | Second-round vote |
| 4Blank: | Second-round percentage |
| Nominee1: | John Marks |
| Party1: | Nonpartisan candidate |
| 1Data1: | 11,702 |
| 2Data1: | 43.10% |
| 3Data1: | 19,119 |
| 4Data1: | 67.10% |
| Nominee2: | John Paul Bailey |
| Party2: | Nonpartisan candidate |
| 1Data2: | 7,382 |
| 2Data2: | 29.02% |
| 3Data2: | 9,374 |
| 4Data2: | 32.90% |
| Nominee3: | Steve Meisburg |
| Party3: | Nonpartisan candidate |
| 1Data3: | 7,039 |
| 2Data3: | 25.93% |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Scott Maddox |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party |
| After Election: | John Marks |
| After Party: | Democratic Party |
The 2003 Tallahassee mayoral special election was held February 4 and February 25, 2003 to elect the mayor of Tallahassee, Florida.
Since no candidate obtained a majority of the vote in the first-round, a runoff was held between the top-two finishers.
The election coincided with elections to City Commissioner Seats 1, 2, 3 and 5.[1]
Marks became the second popularly elected mayor of Tallahassee. Marks became Tallahassee's first elected African American mayor, and its fifth-overall African American mayor.
On January 4, 2003, Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox was elected Chairman of the Florida Democratic Party.[2] Maddox announced that he would remain Mayor of Tallahassee until late February 2003, when a special mayor election would be held to elect a successor.[2]