A.G. Gancarski
Jacksonville political veteran Jerry Holland is looking for another four-year term as a Duval County Constitutional Officer.
According to records with the Duval County Supervisor of Elections, Republican Holland seeks a return to the Supervisor of Elections office he helmed from 2005 to 2015.
He currently is Duval County Property Appraiser, a position he has held since 2015.
Holland’s tenure as Supervisor of Elections historically has been well-regarded, with Democrats vouching for his credibility. It is that reputation for being an honest broker that could allow him to have over two decades in constitutional offices in Duval County if he wins in 2023.
Even though Democrats command an electoral plurality in Duval County, Holland has been able to hold office throughout his political career.
In 2019, Holland dispatched a challenge from Democrat Kurt Kraft, carrying 66% of the vote. Kraft ran a spirited campaign full of ad hominem attacks on Holland, and did not get traction with donors or voters.
It remains to be seen, however, if Holland will have such an easy path back to the Supervisor of Elections sinecure. The 2023 cycle thus far has seen a lot of early activity, with hopefuls filing for other races early, indicating crowded fields to come, with a paucity of positions and a plethora of public servants seeking new life in a new gig.
In the race for Mayor, two Republican City Council members, Matt Carlucci and Al Ferraro, have filed. A third, LeAnna Cumber, is exploring a run and has engaged consultants from D.C. Republican Daniel Davis and Democrat Donna Deegan are also exploring runs for the city’s top job.
Likewise, the race for Sheriff sees four later-career officers vying for the job already. History suggests that field could expand. In 2015, seven candidates ran.
Meanwhile, even the race to succeed Holland as Property Appraiser has two Republican office holders on a collision course. Term limited City Council member Danny Becton and Rep. Jason Fischer, who shifted focus from a Senate run recently, are already in the mix.
More than two candidates in these races mean there likely will be May runoff elections after the first ballot in March. Though candidates are identified by party on the ballot, Duval County municipal elections are non-partisan with no official Republican or Democratic Primaries in the traditional sense.
One comment
Aly Ham
September 14, 2021 at 11:20 am
I find it interesting that memories are so short when it comes to someone who has been in politics for such a long time. Jerry Holland becoming our Supervisor of Elections again or taking on the role of any political position would be an absolute disaster.
In 2015, Mr. Holland was quite clear when he stated “For those candidates who advance on to May, they are still in the midst of an election and their signs may still be displayed. Any removal of those signs is pure and simple theft than can be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
3 short years later in 2018, Holland was excused of using the City of Jacksonville website for 2 months to advertise his 2nd run for Property Appraiser and solicited funds by stating it was a “human error” by an employee.
The very next year in 2019, Mrs. Holland stole the campaign sign of his opponent, Kurt Kraft. He (Jerry Holland) excused the behavior by stating “She regrets what happened, and the emotions of the campaign got the best of her.”
So to be clear, the Holland family is above the law? Emotions are allowed to get the best of us and wrongful actions can be excused due to “human error”.
For someone who was the supervisor of elections, things that are morally wrong and illegal seem to keep happening within his circle and he keeps excusing it as long as it benefits his political end goal. Quite frankly, I’m over it and I want him to take some form of responsibility as any leader with an iota of integrity would.
After the 2020 election and concerns about voter fraud and inaccurate, unfair elections, I’m appalled that Holland would even attempt to run for the position again and he absolutely DOES NOT have my vote. How do we trust someone to fairly and accurately run our elections when his last election run was tainted by acts that, to me, undermine the democratic process?
I’m tired of the career politicians that just rotate from one position to another without any real concern for the needs of the public. I’m tired of politicians that get special privileges and favors that allow them to be above the law. Hopefully, the other residents of Duval County are tired of it too.
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