Mike Stout for Dade City Commissioner

Mike Stout for Dade City Commissioner Mike Stout running for Dade City Commissioner

04/15/2026

Before this 21 hours day ends, I want to say this: Being a gracious winner is perhaps more important than being a gracious loser. Great people were on both sides of this vote, people that truly care and are passionate about our city. The 595 people who stepped up for either candidate should be saluted in a city with over 5,000 voters.

I think win is a funny word for something that in all earnest is just at it’s starting point, for the next four years it’s my job to earn not only the support of those that entrusted me with their vote, but just as importantly to earn the trust and support of those that didn’t. So please let’s be gracious winners, and take the energy of both campaigns to move Dade City towards a great future!

04/14/2026

Voter turn out is lower than a snakes belly! If you can get here to vote please do! Poles open till 7 and remember not the old location. All voting is at the United Methodist Church in Dade City on Church Avenue!

Good morning Dade City! See you at the polls!
04/14/2026

Good morning Dade City! See you at the polls!

04/13/2026

Here we are! The last post from the soap box! My opponent has said that the differences in this race are clear, and that is something that I could not agree upon more.

• I have stated real ideas, real projects that need to be completed in some cases and rediscussed in others.

• I have a voting record from my time on the planning board that shows I will back up what I have said about endless expansion, annexations and rezoning that is not in the best interest of Dade City residents and our county neighbors whose lives are affected by these decisions.

• I have made it clear that this is the only position in politics that I have ever run for and the only one I will ever run for.

•I have been open, transparent, and willing to answer questions on any topic past or present in public and on social media where everyone and anyone can hear my answers, no matter if you agree or do not. On my page, not a single comment has been deleted by me from someone that did not like my stance or platform or asked tough questions.

• I have not taken one cent of contribution money from developers or anyone that I could foresee would ever come before the commission requesting anything.

• I have lived here continuously for nine years and have no plans to leave the community I love. (I keep telling Kelly I want to be buried in the backyard, but she seems to think that will hurt the sale of the house).

These my friends are the undeniable differences in this election, and I would appreciate your vote and that of anyone that you can drag with you to the United Methodist Church tomorrow.

I do not see a need to talk about the other candidate in the remarks of this post. At this point it is a circular firing squad; we just need to show up and let our votes be heard and let the cards fall where they may. I will be on the ground…. (Exactly 150 feet away as required by law) tomorrow please come say hi, and if you have anyone unsure as to how they plan to vote please bring them over I would love a chance to earn their vote as well!

THESE ARE THE DIFFERENCES!

Neighbors first, Dade City Always, See you all soon,

Mike

04/12/2026

Today’s topic is unity.

I assure all of you that what binds us together is stronger than what pushes us apart. As we come down to the final hours of this campaign, I want to thank everyone that I have spoken to, either through door knocking, large community events or our meet and greets. I have truly enjoyed listening to so many stories of why each of us have either ended up here, moved here etc.

I sit in the backyard of our home here more often than any backyard I have ever had, I love our oaks, our camphor trees and the smell of jasmine… if the wind is not blowing south…

My point being I love it today, and I will love It just as much come Tuesday evening, win, or lose. Dade City’s best days are in front of it. Which is why I want to help keep moving it down a path of success. Local government is a unique animal; trust me, I spent over two decades in it (in Tampa) and successfully managed people working in it. So as the old farmers insurance commercial use to say: “I know a thing or two, because I have seen a thing or two.”

To those of you that may read this that are supporting Mr. Van Gorden, that is your absolute right! If he wins, I am sure he will work hard to make my supporters, his supporters, and if I win, please know I will be spending four years working equally hard to do the same. The fact that you take the time to vote is the most important thing in my book.

Have a wonderful Sunday, or as our Parish Priest says, “A sun filled Sunday.”

- Mike

04/11/2026

My free thought for the day:

When a politician starts telling you what matters and what doesn’t you should investigate that. Maybe that’s endorsements, maybe that’s open question and answers in an uncontrolled environment, maybe it’s their voting history or past history. Maybe, just Maybe these things do matter. Maybe people being willing to put their name and reputation next to yours matters. Maybe not needing a script and being able to answer questions on the fly does matter, and perhaps the old saying that past performance is indicative of future results is an old saying for a reason… So have a wonderful Saturday, whatever you are doing with it make the most of it! Decide for yourself what matters to you and we will see everyone at the polls on Tuesday!

- Mike

04/10/2026

Dade City Street Bash tonight! Come down and support local businesses and have a great time! I’ll be wearing my campaign shirt which in my size looks like a billboard 🤣 so if we haven’t met or if we have, come say hi! I love to talk to neighbors, about what makes our city so special!

04/09/2026

I have received a couple questions about endorsements and the potential that there were some implied endorsements that have been floated in this race. So let me be the one to clear this up.

I am endorsed by:

•Sheriff Nocco, the elected Sheriff of Pasco County. When I was at Tampa P.D. and living in Dade City I commanded the area of the city including New Tampa which borders Pasco County. As you could guess criminals do not stay in geographical boundaries, so I was able to develop a great working relationship with my counterparts at the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office for the sake of everyone we served.

•Ann Consentino the elected Commissioner of Group 2, the seat for which I am running. Commissioner Cosentino chose to endorse me, because she was impressed by my work on the planning board and commitment to Dade City, those were her words.

•The Suncoast Tampa Association of Realtors. This association represents over 23,000 members and is the largest trade associate in our region. This endorsement came after both I and my opponent (a realtor), both met with their political committee and answered identical questions as I have discussed previously. After winning the endorsement I made sure that my opponent had also agreed to accept their contribution had he won the endorsement. Someone stated that this was the Mayor of Tampa helping me… For anyone wondering, the Mayor and I are not particularly close, she was my employer, I last spoke to her a little over three years ago when I told her I was retiring. I honestly would be surprised if she even knew I was running for office in a different city, in a different county.

•Finally, I have a “vote of confidence” from the Republican Party of Pasco County, this is different from an endorsement on a procedural basis given the fact that they did not have a quorum of active members at the meeting I spoke at. Both my opponent and I were invited to speak at this meeting and then they would have decided who to support based on our response to questions. My opponent opted not come, because I had the endorsement of Sheriff Nocco, only my opponent can explain the logic in that decision. As a side note there was a financial commitment mentioned in that meeting (I truly do not know what that amount would have been) but it never arrived which is fine and the deadline for accepting money ended today, so I took no contributions from this group.

Who I have turned down endorsements from:

Developers & anyone working for a developer. I was contacted early on and asked if I would meet with them with the implication that they would love to contribute, and I turned that down cold. I draw a massive distinction between realtors selling pre-existing homes and developers looking for more of the handouts of the past when it comes to planned developments that do not seem well planned at all.

Who CAN NOT endorse a candidate? (This is an important one)

Appointed (hired) figures in government, for instance, city employees to include heads of departments like the water department or the police department ARE NOT permitted to endorse candidates for the obvious reasons of the environment that could produce should the other candidate prevail. I see plenty of these folks at the different events and meetings I attend, but I have been very careful not to take or post photos with them because I would not want to even imply that they somehow support me (nor have I asked for their support). For the simple reason that I would never want someone that does not support me to think any of these folks do and potentially jeopardize their employment.

I hope this clears up any misconceptions on what might be out there, and again I continue to be completely transparent and open to public questions.

I do no business that touches Dade City, and I say that as a good thing. When elected you can be assured that my perspective on matters before the commission will be that of a tax paying resident looking to do what’s best for my fellow residents in the city, and the residents living in our unincorporated edges while being beholden to no other group or outside influence.
Have a wonderful day everyone and remember PLEASE EXERCISE ONE OF YOUR MOST SACRED RIGHTS and cast your ballot on Tuesday, April 14th at the United Methodist Church, on Church Avenue. I hope to see every resident of our amazing city there, let’s set a turnout record!

04/09/2026

With the unfortunate lack of a debate or opportunity for voters to ask questions of both candidates, due to the unwillingness of my opponent to participate, I am going to speak on some topics that matter to me over the next few days. Tonight's topic is the use of the word "leadership."

The word “leadership” has been used a lot in this commission race, so I would like to make my thoughts on the importance of it clear.

People seem to have a lot of different reasons for wanting to be recognized as a leader. In some cases, they are referring to the leader of a volunteer organization, and as a twenty-year scout leader and an Eagle Scout myself, I can’t tell you how much I think that type of leadership in local civic organizations is a great thing.

Then there is leadership in government. I served as a Major at the Tampa Police Department; this was the culmination of five promotions and holding a position that less than one percent of police officers held in a police department with over 1,400 officers and employees.

I retired from the Tampa Police Department when I chose to, with a spotless record of making decisions that involved unquestioned ethics and integrity.

I am a firm believer that in government, you hold the trust of the people, and there is no room for someone who has ever been found to have violated the ethics or integrity of the office with which they were entrusted. No matter if that’s an elected position or a position in government, be that a police officer, a firefighter, a teacher, or any other civil servant.

People make mistakes and go on to live wonderful lives, but for me, that does not mean a return to positions of trust in government.

In my time as a police supervisor, I had the unenviable task of telling several police officers who had strayed ethically or morally that they were no longer police officers and would never be so again. It is hard, but it is crucial to protect public trust in the institution.

A great man once told me, “You can sell your integrity, or you can give your integrity away, but once it is gone, you can never buy it back.” I am a firm believer that when it comes to elected offices or civil service positions, this is how it must be. The stakes for those you serve are too high to allow for second chances.

- Mike

Don’t have a cow man! But we are six days from the finish line! If you are a Dade City resident remember to vote on Tues...
04/08/2026

Don’t have a cow man! But we are six days from the finish line! If you are a Dade City resident remember to vote on Tuesday, April 14th at the United Methodist Church on Church Avenue or this week 8-5 at City Hall!

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Dade City, FL
33525

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