Poll: Joyce Morgan could flip Duval County Property Appraiser office Democratic

Joyce Morgan throws her hat in the ring.

New polling from the University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab suggests that Democrats could take a Duval County constitutional office.

Democrat Joyce Morgan holds a strong lead in the survey, commanding 43% support against two Republican candidates. If she is able to get above 50% support, she can win the election outright in the First Election on March 21 and avoid a May runoff election.

If these results hold, they represent a sea change in the Property Appraiser Office. In 2019, Republican Jerry Holland creamed Kurt Kraft, getting 66% of the vote in March.

Morgan, a former television reporter, was first elected to the Jacksonville City Council in 2015 and re-elected four years later. She is up against two Republicans, City Council colleague Danny Becton and former Rep. Jason Fischer, neither of whom have traction. Fischer has 16% support despite an endorsement from Gov. Ron DeSantis, while Becton has 13%.

Democrats are largely united behind Morgan. She has 80% support in her own party, with Fischer and Becton splitting 5% between them, and 15% undecided.

Among no-party voters, Morgan commanded 33% support, doubling up Fischer’s 15% and Becton’s 8% support. A full 44% of no-party voters are undecided.

Republicans, however, are rejecting Morgan. Just 8% of them say they will cross party lines and vote for her. Fischer drew 29% support, Becton 26%, and 37% were undecided.

Morgan has massive leads with all voting demographics except White voters. While she is ahead with 29% support, Fischer and Becton are relatively competitive, with 21% and 19% support respectively. Three out of every ten White voters are undecided at this point.

Conversely, 78% of Black voters backed Morgan, with Fischer and Becton getting 3% combined among that cohort. Hispanics likewise prefer Morgan, who drew 41% support, with 12% backing Fischer and no discernable backing for Becton.

UNF polled 531 likely voters between Feb. 20 and Feb. 24 in a “live dial” survey that weighted responses across Jacksonville’s state House districts.