A.G. Gancarski
Democrats came close to flipping the Duval County Property Appraiser’s office Tuesday, but the final resolution won’t come until May.
Democrat Joyce Morgan breezed to a first place finish with 48% support, far ahead of Republicans Jason Fischer (31%) and Danny Becton (22%).
But Morgan, despite leading the early, vote by mail, and Election Day votes, fell short of the 50% needed to win, setting the stage for a final battle with Fischer in the General Election May 16.
Polling of the race from St. Pete Polls and the University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab showed Morgan with the momentum. She polled in the mid-40s in both surveys, more than 20 points ahead of her opponents.
Morgan, a former television reporter, was first elected to the Jacksonville City Council in 2015 and re-elected four years later. She finished in first place despite a cash disadvantage against Becton and Fischer. Outgoing Property Appraiser Jerry Holland endorsed Becton, while Gov. Ron DeSantis backed Fischer.
Becton, a second-term Council member like Morgan, raised over $250,000, nearly five times the funds raised by Morgan, who collected a little more than $56,000 ahead of the March election.
Fischer had raised nearly $180,000 when he first filed for the race, before exploring other offices and then re-entering the field. He raised nearly $60,000 and also has been able to rely on the Florida Trust political committee, which had nearly $155,000 on hand.
No matter how May turns out, this is a much more competitive race than four years ago. In 2019, Republican incumbent Jerry Holland creamed Kurt Kraft, getting 66% of the vote in March.
