Democrat Donna Deegan became the first woman to be elected mayor of Jacksonville, Florida—beating out Republican Daniel Davis, a former state legislator who had the backing of Gov. Ron DeSantis, in a runoff.
Deegan’s win, with 52 percent of the vote, is a stunning upset by Democrats. Jacksonville is a longtime GOP stronghold and, before Tuesday, stood as the largest city in the country to have a Republican mayor. There hasn’t been a Democrat in charge since 2015.
“Everyone said it could not be done in Jacksonville, Florida,” Deegan said in her victory speech. “We did it because we brought the people inside.”
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Deegan was a popular TV anchor in Jacksonville before she founded her nonprofit group, the DONNA Foundation, for breast cancer research. She was painted by her opponent as a leftist who would enact “radical policies” if elected, and faced criticism from Republicans for her participation in Black Lives Matter protests.
She enjoyed some bipartisan support with GOP council members Matt Carlucci and Randy DeFoor crossing party lines to back her.
“I can’t tell you how many people from across the political spectrum reached out to me and said ‘We want you to know, I’ve never voted for a Democrat before. I’m going to vote for you,’” Deegan said after her victory.
She said Davis called her to graciously concede.
“I just received a very nice phone call from Daniel Davis who said to me that he is rooting for me and he will work for me to create a city that works for all of us,” she told supporters. “He is ready to work together and I’m ready to work with him and everybody else who loves this city to make this city everything it can be.”
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