Donna Deegan (D) defeated Daniel Davis (R) 52% to 48% in the May 16 runoff election for mayor of Jacksonville, Florida. Deegan will be the second Democrat to hold the office since 1993.
Incumbent Mayor Lenny Curry (R) was term-limited. Curry was first elected in 2015, making Jacksonville the most populous American city with a Republican mayor.
Deegan and Davis advanced from a field of eight candidates in the March 21, 2023, general election, where Deegan received 39% of the vote and Davis received 25%.
Deegan founded two philanthropic organizations focused on breast cancer issues and was a local television news anchor and investigative journalist. Deegan’s endorsements included the Jacksonville chapter of the National Organization for Women PAC, Branch 53 of the North Florida Letter Carriers union, and former Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried’s (D) PAC, Won’t Back Down. In her Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey, Deegan said her priorities included “improvements in infrastructure, public health, housing affordability, and an inclusive economy” and that “For too long, that leadership has been lacking in a City Hall that only works for a handful of well-connected people.”
Davis was the chief executive officer of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and served in the Florida House of Representatives, representing District 15 from 2010 to 2014. Davis’ endorsements included Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters (R), the Jacksonville Brotherhood of Firefighters, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R). In his election night speech, he said, “Will we elect a mayor who will stand with our brave men and women in uniform to make Jacksonville safer? Or will we, as Jacksonvillians, go down the pathway of San Francisco and New York?” In addition to his support for law enforcement, he highlighted his support for school choice and said he would “stand with Governor Ron DeSantis (R) to keep Florida free.”
Additional reading:
- Donna Deegan
- Daniel Davis
- Mayoral election in Jacksonville, Florida (March 21, 2023, general election
