Voters in Jacksonville, Florida, on Tuesday elected Democrat Donna Deegan as the first female mayor in the city’s history. In a shocking upset, Deegan also became the first Democrat to win a Jacksonville mayor’s race in more than 30 years.
Deegan earned 52% of the 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.
The last Democrat to win the Jacksonville mayor’s race was Ed Austin in 1991.
Davis had been endorsed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and had outraised Deegan by a four-to-one-margin during his campaign.
Deegan said she planned to focus on upgrading infrastructure, building an economy that works for everyone and improving access to healthcare. She is replacing Republican Lenny Curry, who was first elected in 2015 and couldn’t run again due to term limits.
Jacksonville is Florida’s most populous city, with about 950,000 residents.
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