DeSantis-Backed Candidate Loses Election In Largest City With GOP Leader

Democrats pulled off a major upset in Tuesday night’s elections.

Donna Deegan won Jacksonville, Florida’s mayoral election against Republican Daniel Davis to succeed term-limited Mayor Lenny Curry (R).

The Democrat won against Davis in a runoff Tuesday after the two candidates advanced from a blanket primary earlier this year.

Before Tuesday night, Jacksonville was the country’s largest city ran by a GOP mayor.

As The Hill noted, Gov. Ron DeSantis endorsed Daniel Davis.

Democrats are projected to flip control of the mayor’s office in Jacksonville, Fla., the largest city in the country with a GOP leader, according to CNN and NBC.

AP projected that Democrat Donna Deegan defeated Republican Daniel Davis to succeed Mayor Lenny Curry (R), who is term-limited. Deegan, who will be the city’s first female mayor, won against Davis in a runoff on Tuesday after the two candidates advanced from a blanket primary earlier this year.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) endorsed Davis back in March.

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Deegan worked in broadcast journalism as an anchor at First Coast News and created a foundation, called the DONNA Foundation, in 2003 to support medical providers and patients and survivors of breast cancer after her own battles with the disease, according to her campaign’s website.

Wow! In a stunning upset victory for the Democrats, Democratic candidate and former TV anchor Donna Deegan just DEFEATED the DeSantis-endorsed Republican candidate Daniel Davis in the race for Jacksonville, Florida mayor.

She is the second Democrat to win a mayor's race there in… pic.twitter.com/ZEayvjGihY

— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) May 16, 2023

🚨🚨🚨BREAKING: In a stunning upset WIN, Democrat Donna Deegan has FLIPPED the mayor's office in Jacksonville Florida!

Deegan shocked Republicans in this longtime GOP stronghold, making her first woman to lead state's largest city.

Turnout ended at 33%, which was higher than… pic.twitter.com/ATPDJpwoZW

— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) May 16, 2023

NBC News added:

Deegan came into Election Day as the decided underdog against Republican Daniel Davis, who is the head of the city’s Chamber of Commerce and had a significant fundraising advantage. He was endorsed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, but that support was lukewarm. DeSantis did not do events with Davis or put his political muscle behind his candidacy.

With all of the city’s 186 precincts reporting, Deegan had a 52% to 48% advantage over Davis, who was vying to replace current Republican Mayor Lenny Curry, who was term-limited.

“Everyone said it could not be done in Jacksonville, Florida,” Deegan said, according to video of her victory speech. “We did it because we brought the people inside.”

Jacksonville’s mayoral election wasn’t the lone race where the DeSantis-backed candidate suffered defeat.

In the Kentucky GOP gubernatorial primary, DeSantis-backed Kelly Craft finished 3rd in the race won by Trump-endorsed Daniel Cameron.

Trump-Backed Candidate Wins GOP Gubernatorial Primary