Duval County Democratic voter lead hits ‘all-time low,’ GOP chair predicts Deegan reelection loss
DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. – Registered Democratic voters’ lead over Republicans in Duval County hit an all-time low Thursday and Duval County GOP Chairman Dean Black said Mayor Donna Deegan is likely to be the “last Democratic mayor in Jacksonville history.”
Democrats’ lead over Republican registered voters in Duval is at 11,422, compared to last week when Democrats led by over 16,000, Black said.
Black, also a state representative in Jacksonville, told Florida’s Voice that when he first became the local GOP chair in 2019, Democrats had a lead of more than 40,000 registered voters.
“What’s happening in Jacksonville is this city is becoming a major American Republican city,” Black said.
When Deegan was elected in March 2023, Democrats had a lead in voter registrations by 28,000. Since then, Republicans have cut their lead by more than 17,000 registered voters.
Black said these numbers are “boxing in the Democratic mayor,” leading her to have “no alternative but to be a one-term mayor.”
“Jacksonville has already become so red that the Democratic mayor is going to find it impossible when the day comes to be reelected,” Black said.
Deegan won the mayoral election against Republican candidate Daniel Davis by 9,000 votes.
“Mayor Deegan is likely to be the last Democrat mayor in Jacksonville history, and it’s simply a mathematical equation at this point,” Black said.
The voter registration in Duval are as follows as of Thursday:
Democrats: 238,061
Republicans: 226,639
No Party Affiliated: 140,293
Others: 17,475
Total: 622,468
Black said registered Duval Democrats’ lead over Republicans is “shockingly” low.
“So low now that they are on the cusp of becoming truly the minority party in Jacksonville and the Republican party is on the cusp of becoming the plurality party,” Black said.
Republicans’ lead over Democrats is not just being seen in Jacksonville, but across the state as the Florida GOP recently broke a 900,000 voter registration lead, and currently leads by nearly 910,000.
Black said in Duval, “there’s never a time” the GOP doesn’t focus on voter registration, and they’re “not done.”
“We are in relentless pursuit of victory and relentless pursuit of flipping Duval County,” Black said.
Florida’s Voice asked Black why the upcoming election is important and he said he doesn’t “even know where to begin.”
“Look, it’s all of it. It’s a disaster,” Black said. “I mean, I honestly don’t know what Joe Biden is going to run on. What’s he going to do? Is he going to say he’s got the border secure? I don’t think so. Is he going to say it’s the economy? I don’t think so. Is it world peace? The world’s on fire. Joe Biden is a complete disaster and he has to be replaced.”
Black said more and more people are joining the Republican party because “they recognize that common sense and sanity has to be restored.”
“That’s what’s at stake: sanity, or insanity,” Black said.
