Democrat Donna Deegan wins Jacksonville mayor’s race in major upset

Voters in Jacksonville, Florida, on Tuesday elected Democrat Donna Deegan as the first female mayor in city history. In what marked a shocking upset win, Deegan became the first Democrat to win a Jacksonville mayor’s race in over 30 years.

Deegan earned 52% of vote, beating Republican Daniel Davis, according to unofficial results. About 217,000 people voted in the race, for a turnout of 33%.

“Love won tonight, and we made history,” Deegan said in a statement. “We have a new day in Jacksonville because people chose unity over division — creating a broad coalition of people across the political spectrum that want a unified city.”

Davis conceded in a speech to supporters Tuesday night.

Deegan is only the first Democrat to win the Jacksonville mayor’s race in three decades — since Ed Austin in 1991. Davis was endorsed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and he had outraised Davis by a four-to-one-margin in his campaign.

Deegan said she plans to focus on upgrading infrastructure, building an economy that works for everyone and improving access to healthcare.

Deegan is replacing Republican Lenny Curry, who was first elected in 2015 and couldn’t run again because of term limits.

Jacksonville is Florida’s most populous city, with about 950,000 residents.