In a runoff, Democrat Donna Deegan beat Republican Daniel Davis, a former state lawmaker who had the support of Gov. Ron DeSantis. Deegan is the first woman to be elected mayor of Jacksonville, Florida.
Deegan’s victory, with 52% of the vote, is a huge surprise for the Democrats. Jacksonville has been a stronghold for the Republican Party for a long time, and until Tuesday, it was the biggest city in the country with a Republican mayor. Since 2015, Democrats have not been in charge.
In her winning speech, Deegan said, “Everyone said it couldn’t be done in Jacksonville, Florida.” “We did it because we let the people in.”
Before she started the DONNA Foundation for breast cancer research, Deegan was a famous news anchor in Jacksonville. Her opponent called her a liberal who would make “radical policies” if she was elected, and Republicans criticized her for taking part in Black Lives Matter protests.
Matt Carlucci and Randy DeFoor, who are both Republicans, supported her even though they were not in her party.
“I can’t tell you how many people from different political parties have told me, ‘We want you to know, I’ve never voted for a Democrat before. “I’ll vote for you,'” Deegan told her after she won.
She said that Davis called her to say that he was sorry.
She told her fans, “I just got a very nice phone call from Daniel Davis. He told me that he is rooting for me and that he will work with me to make a city that works for all of us.” “He’s ready to work together, and I’m ready to work with him and everyone else who loves this city to make it the best it can be.”
