Chris Miller prevails in Jacksonville City Council at large race

Republicans will control all five at large seats on the Jacksonville City Council for the next four years.

That’s thanks to Chris Miller prevailing in his runoff against Democrat Charles Garrison Tuesday, 52% to 48%.

Miller, a retired Army colonel, wrangled an impressive list of endorsements going into the first round of voting, including the local police union, U.S. Rep. John Rutherford, Sheriff T.K. Waters, Jacksonville City Council President Terrance Freeman and City Council members Aaron Bowman, Kevin Carrico, Rory Diamond, Nick Howland and Randy White.

Organizational support also included the First Coast Manufacturers Association, JAXBIZ of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, and the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors, among others.

That institutional support proved key for the first-time candidate against his Democratic opponent. A military veteran and small businessman, Garrison chairs the Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board’s Water Committee, and served as secretary of the Jacksonville Housing and Community Development Commission. He also serves on the board of local nonprofit Changing Homelessness.

Miller was the leading vote-getter in the March election, taking 37% support, while Garrison’s 26% was good for second place.

Polling of the race suggested that margin would largely hold. A University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab survey from April showed a 45% to 38% lead for Miller over Garrison, with no-party voters breaking the Republican’s way. He also held a 54% to 38% edge with male voters in that poll.

Jacksonville has a voter registration advantage for Democrats, with 40% of the electorate registered Democrat and just 35% Republican, according to the most recent L2 voter data.

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Wes Wolfe of Florida Politics contributed to this report.