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Donna Deegan
2023 - Present
2027
2
Donna Deegan (Democratic Party) is the Mayor of Jacksonville in Florida. She assumed office on July 1, 2023. Her current term ends on July 1, 2027.
Deegan was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and graduated from Bishop Kenny High School in 1979.[1][2] After graduating from Florida State University in 1984, Deegan began a career as a television news anchor and investigative journalist. She worked as an anchor for Jacksonville's WTLV and later First Coast News from 1988 until 2012.[3]
Deegan is a three-time breast cancer survivor. She founded and served as CEO of the nonprofit The Donna Foundation, a breast cancer awareness foundation that provides financial support for those with breast cancer and funds cancer related research.[4] She also published a book related to her experiences with breast cancer.
She first won elected office in the 2023 Jacksonville mayoral election, when she defeated Daniel Davis (R) 52% to 48% in a runoff election. Incumbent Mayor Lenny Curry (R) was term-limited. As a result of the election, Democrats gained control of the mayor's office in Jacksonville for the first time since Curry won election in 2015. Deegan is the first woman to serve as Mayor of Jacksonville, and was one of four candidates to win election in 2023 that changed the partisan control a mayoral office in one of the 100 largest U.S. cities by population.[5]
In her Candidate Connection survey, Deegan said her priorities included "improvements in infrastructure, public health, housing affordability, and an inclusive economy" and that "For too long, that leadership has been lacking in a City Hall that only works for a handful of well-connected people."
During her first term, Deegan highlighted achievements including a program to improve youth reading levels, a campaign to reduce the number of residents without health insurance, small business programs, an agreement for a new stadium to host the NFL's Jaguars, a pay raise for firefighters, police and corrections officers.[6] She also ordered the removal of two confederate statutes in a city park.[7]
Prior to winning election as mayor, Deegan ran for Florida's 4th Congressional District in 2020 and lost in the general election.
Biography
Donna Deegan was born in Jacksonville, Florida.[1] Deegan graduated from Bishop Kenny High School in 1979.[2] She earned an undergraduate degree from Florida State University in 1984. Deegan's career experience includes working as an author, a news anchor with First Coast News, and an investigative and political reporter. She founded and has served as the CEO of The Donna Foundation and The National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer (also known as 26.2 With Donna).[1][2][8]
Elections
2023
See also: Mayoral election in Jacksonville, Florida (2023)
General runoff election
General runoff election for Mayor of Jacksonville
Donna Deegan defeated Daniel Davis in the general runoff election for Mayor of Jacksonville on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Donna Deegan (D)  | 52.1 | 113,226 |
 | Daniel Davis (R) | 47.9 | 104,172 | |
| Total votes: 217,398 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
General election
General election for Mayor of Jacksonville
The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Jacksonville on March 21, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Donna Deegan (D) | 39.4 | 66,192 |
| ✔ | | Daniel Davis (R) | 24.7 | 41,505 |
 | Al Ferraro (R) | 16.2 | 27,265 | |
 | Audrey Gibson (D) | 8.6 | 14,440 | |
 | LeAnna Cumber (R) | 7.6 | 12,721 | |
 | Frank Keasler (R) | 2.4 | 4,011 | |
 | Omega Allen (Independent) | 0.9 | 1,584 | |
 | Brian Griffin (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.1 | 149 | |
| Total votes: 167,867 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2020
See also: Florida's 4th Congressional District election, 2020
Florida's 4th Congressional District election, 2020 (August 18 Republican primary)
Florida's 4th Congressional District election, 2020 (August 18 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Florida District 4
Incumbent John Rutherford defeated Donna Deegan and Gary Koniz in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 4 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | John Rutherford (R) | 61.1 | 308,497 |
| Donna Deegan (D) | 38.9 | 196,423 | |
 | Gary Koniz (R) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 20 | |
| Total votes: 504,940 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Christopher Eagle (Independent)
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Donna Deegan advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 4.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Monica DePaul (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 4
Incumbent John Rutherford defeated Erick Aguilar in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 4 on August 18, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Rutherford | 80.2 | 80,101 |
 | Erick Aguilar | 19.8 | 19,798 | |
| Total votes: 99,899 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- John White (R)
- Robbi Gleichauf (R)
Campaign themes
2023
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Donna Deegan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Deegan's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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While working, I was diagnosed with breast cancer three times. This community showed up for me with prayers and hard truths about their own cancer journeys. Hearing from people all over Jacksonville who were choosing between food and medicine led me to create and lead the DONNA Foundation, which has provided financial assistance and support to over 17,500 families living with breast cancer and has raised millions for research. I founded the 26.2 with DONNA marathon, which has brought 60 million dollars of economic impact to Jacksonville to date. I know how to vision, build, and put the right people on the bus to get things done because I’ve done it.
When elected, I know that my unique experience, dedication and track record of showing up will enable me to lead the city of Jacksonville to greatness. I will continue to be a strong advocate for the community and will ensure that everyone's voices are heard in City Hall. I am committed to serving the citizens of Duval County and making a positive impact on their lives.- I decided to run for Mayor of Jacksonville because our city needs change for good - change for the better and change that lasts. I envision a brighter future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive in Jacksonville, and I am confident in my abilities to steer the city toward growth and success. I believe that strong leadership, political will, and a clear vision will bring improvements in infrastructure, public health, housing affordability, and an inclusive economy. For too long, that leadership has been lacking in a City Hall that only works for a handful of well-connected people. My family has a rich history here in Jacksonville, and I am motivated to uphold that legacy of service by making our city one that works for all of us.
- As a 25-year veteran TV news reporter, I know Jacksonville through and through. My time spent in every corner of the city earned me the trust of the community. Surviving 3 bouts of breast cancer and hearing stories of people having to choose between food and medicine inspired me to create and lead the DONNA Foundation, which has helped over 17,500 families living with breast cancer and raised millions for research. I also started the 26.2 with DONNA marathon, bringing $60M of economic impact to the city. If elected I'll bring my experience and dedication to advocating for women and families to represent everyone in City Hall. I have always stood up for the community and I'll continue to do so as your next Mayor.
- I would hope to be remembered as the mayor who finally brought Jacksonville to its full potential downtown as we open up our riverfront and bring the people of all walks into our vibrant, resilient, connected neighborhoods and parks. And the mayor who made sure that in a city with the best healthcare in the country, we also have the best health outcomes. Most of all, I would hope to be remembered for my leadership and ability to bring people together to work toward common goals for the people of Jacksonville.
First, I will work to improve the conditions of neglected neighborhoods by repairing crumbling infrastructure, which I believe is essential for the growth and development of our city. It’s time to make good on broken promises to those neighborhoods since the time of consolidation on everything from septic tank removal to sidewalks. Resiliency will be key in those decisions. I believe we must also tackle the affordable housing crisis.
Second, I will focus on improving public health access and education. I am the only candidate to propose a policy that would move our city out of the basement of health outcomes and have a four point plan to do just that.
Third, I aim to foster an inclusive economy by collaborating with current corporate partners and attracting businesses that align with this goal, to ensure that all residents of Jacksonville benefit from economic growth. We must diversify and activate our city boards to create a diverse citizen voice in our government that looks like Jacksonville. I will have an office dedicated to bringing the same business resources to our neglected neighborhoods as those resources exist in other parts of our city.
Elder Lee Harris
Pastor R.L. Gundy
Lt. Col. (Ret) USAF Alton Yates
Former Neptune Beach Mayor Harriet Pruette
Former Atlantic Beach Mayor Ellen Glasser
Former Jacksonville City Councilmember Garrett Dennis
North Florida Letter Carriers, Branch 53
Jacksonville NOW PAC
EMILY’s List
Ruth’s List Florida
Won’t Back Down
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
Deegan's campaign website stated the following:
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Good Infrastructure We are asked to believe in leaders who invest millions in shiny new projects, while ignoring the foundation on which those projects stand. We are facing a crippling affordable housing crisis and City Hall is not doing enough. They talk about innovation, but can’t or won’t even master the basics, like picking up our trash and recycling. We fail to lead on infrastructure at our own peril as issues like the climate crisis cause our neighborhoods to flood and force us more and more into a defensive posture. There is so much we can do, if only our city government had the political will to do it. That lack of leadership, priorities, and vision is exactly what we will fix. It’s time to lead instead of merely react. We will keep Jacksonville's past and present promises and make infrastructure a true priority. Here are just a few of the policies we will focus on as part of our Good Infrastructure plan:
Jacksonville’s oldest neighborhoods have been left far behind when it comes to new infrastructure projects. Many still need streetlights, sidewalks, replaced septic tanks, upgraded sewers, and expanded drainage. It’s time to make good on the broken promises of consolidation.
We face an affordable housing crisis driven by a dire shortage of affordable housing inventory and that is compounded by out of state corporate investors purchasing local property and driving up prices. We need to inventory and make available unused city-owned property, require new developments to include a percentage of workforce housing, update zoning ordinances to support more multifamily units, keep properties in local hands, and ensure adequate funding for affordable housing programs.
Jacksonville’s downtown has so much potential that can only be reached with a cohesive, long-term vision that includes everyone in the city. We need a continuous riverwalk that connects living spaces, businesses, parks, and public spaces alongside the St. Johns River. We need to update downtown infrastructure to attract more development, including vacant properties. Building a thriving downtown will lift up our entire local economy. Good Health The issue is clear: there is a lack of access to healthcare in Jacksonville, a lack of attention from City Hall, and a lack of communication and coordination between the city and the many capable health care professionals, community groups, and organizations. A healthy population is foundational to our health as a city both physically and financially. We need leadership that makes improving our city’s approach to health care and public health a priority, especially as we navigate out of the pandemic. I’ve been meeting with our city’s top doctors and other health care professionals for months, getting firsthand input from those with a front row seat to the barriers. Together, we’ve put together a plan of action that will help all the citizens of Jacksonville and radically improve our health care outcomes:
In order to make Jacksonville’s health a top priority, our community needs a chief health officer. This appointed position will be tasked with coordinating programs to achieve efficiency in services that are offered, developing a communication strategy so the citizens of Jacksonville know how to access those services, applying for grants for new programs, and working with the health care leaders in our community to improve our city’s health.
The many organizations making a difference in the health of our community need more support. Whether in providing basic health care to locals or public health initiatives for issues such as obesity, nutrition, mental health, or addiction—we will make sure we have outbound community services that reach residents on the issues that affect them most.
Our city needs a devoted communications team that is the point-of-contact for emergency health events and to provide communication about all city health services – both public and private.
We will not allow Jacksonville to be a bystander to what happens in Tallahassee. As Mayor, we will aggressively push state leadership to push for home rule of our health departments, and for needed solutions for improving healthcare outcomes. By providing better healthcare and resources for our growing population, we can improve health outcomes, decrease disparities in access to health care and inequities in health outcomes, and be prepared for future emergencies – including pandemics, hurricanes, and climate change. It has been years since medical professionals in Jacksonville have had the ear of city government and I am excited to work with the healthcare community to achieve a state of health the people of Jacksonville deserve. Good Economy With each of us participating in an interactive city that lifts as it climbs, we all thrive. The big corporations, small businesses, and workers. A key pillar of our #ChangeForGood platform is building a good economy that includes all of us. We’ll ask our existing corporate partners to be part of the solution, and we’ll bring in businesses that want to be part of growing a better, fairer, more inclusive city. Businesses that value our increasing diversity. There are some big things we can do together. Changes we’ve known we could make for a generation if we only had the political will to get it done. That changes with us. The beauty in all of this, in doing what’s right, is that we also do what’s best for economic growth. Here are a few of the policies that will be part of our Good Economy plan:
As we bring in more businesses to Jacksonville, we'll have an eye towards companies that believe it takes a welcoming, inclusive city and diverse workforce to spur innovation. We'll build an economy that works for large and small businesses because we all do better when we all do better.
Far too many small businesses are going under because they simply don't know about the existing city resources available to them. We'll make sure all business owners have equal access to resources like façade grants, incubator programs, and merchant associations that help them succeed.
It shouldn't take years to get a permit to start a business but that is all too often the case if you aren't connected to someone in city government. We need to cut the red tape and streamline the permitting process so it's easier to do business in Jacksonville.
For too long, a handful of well connected people have benefitted from contracts with the city. The bidding process must be reformed and made more transparent so city business is opened up for everyone.[9] |
” |
| —Donna Deegan's campaign website[10] | ||
2020
Donna Deegan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Deegan's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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- Health care is a human right
- The climate crisis must be addressed
- I believe in the 2nd amendment and common sense gun reform
It's the book that was recommended to me by a doctor after my third diagnosis. I call it a 12 step program for fear addicts. Great for cancer patients but these days I think the entire country could benefit.
Climate is something we must address over the next decade. From national security, to our economy, to the fate of our children and grandchildren. This one won't wait.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2023 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Mayor of Jacksonville |
Officeholder Mayor of Jacksonville |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on January 14, 2020
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 LinkedIn, "Donna Deegan," accessed June 1, 2023
- ↑ The Florida Times Union, "Donna Deegan to leave First Coast News," June 26, 2012
- ↑ The Donna Foundation, "About," accessed December 16, 2024
- ↑ News4Jax, "History in the making: Donna Deegan sworn in as first woman to lead the River City," July 1, 2023
- ↑ Facebook, "Mayor Donna Deegan on July 1, 2024," accessed December 16, 2024
- ↑ The Florida Times Union, "Confederate monument removed from Jacksonville's Springfield Park early Wednesday," December 28, 2024
- ↑ Donna Deegan for Mayor, "Meet Donna," accessed June 1, 2023
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Donna Deegan's campaign website, “Issues,” accessed January 30, 2023
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Lenny Curry (R) |
Mayor of Jacksonville 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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