A.G. Gancarski
Jacksonville Mayor-elect Donna Deegan continues to get national publicity as a potentially new model of Florida Democrat.
Sunday found the Democrat, who was elected last week, on the MSNBC “Inside with Jen Psaki” program, in which she stressed a positive vision and explained how relationship building has given her a mandate to resist Tallahassee on certain issues.
Among them: home rule, which she says is under attack from the executive and legislative branch.
“Well, I think one of the most concerning things to mayors especially is the loss of local rule under this legislature and this Governor. And so I think that’s one of those things that we’ve been hyper-focused on,” Deegan said.
“But at the end of the day, what we kept hearing over and over again when we were out in the neighborhoods and talking to people was, you know, how much is there going to be left for local mayors to do if, if we continue to take away local rule the way we’ve done in Tallahassee. So I do think that was something that really did resonate with people,” Deegan told Psaki.
Deegan won a brutal campaign against Republican Daniel Davis, whose attack-heavy approach failed, which she attributes to “fatigue with a lot of the hateful politics out there.”
“If we’re going to move forward in this country, we’ve got to be able to talk to each other again. We’ve got to be able to see each other on some level and, and I found so much commonality between what we all want, talking to Democrats, republicans, independents. People are frustrated with the fractures, they’re frustrated with the ugliness,” Deegan said.
Asked about Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ comparison of the Florida Democratic Party to a “dead carcass” on the side of the road, Deegan was diplomatic.
“Well, as I said when we embarked on this race, there is nothing that succeeds like success. And I think you have to give people a reason to hope and you have to give people a reason to believe that that all of us can come together and, and to create some sort of a system where all voices are heard,” Deegan said, before pointing to her long experience in the business.
“And I said that from the very beginning, you know, I’ve been in the media for a long time. I know how it works. I’ve covered politics my whole life. I’ve been on the other side of it, interviewed just about every politician in the world, including President Barack Obama.”
“I know how these things go and I said at the end of it when it’s all over and we have to lead, it’s all about relationships and building relationships,” Deegan said. “I think people are very anxious here to build bridges and I’m going to do everything I can to do that.”
13 comments
David Pakman
May 21, 2023 at 1:16 pm
Need to nuke that city and start over. 40 years to get something nice going there and still a piss hole full of sht heads.
Vic tison
May 21, 2023 at 2:01 pm
Got to be a Democrat. Democrats love to call people names and rundown everyone shown time and time again,, you know, the party of “love and peace”. So inspiring thoughts to bring this country together.
Agenda
May 21, 2023 at 1:18 pm
Donna will not be able to get. her liberal agenda through the city council, since, there are 13 Republicans and 6 Democrats, remember that.
MoRon
May 21, 2023 at 1:23 pm
Republicans are easy to buy and outmaneuver, look at MoRon getting clobbered by a cartoon character.
Anti-woke and goin’ broke: Floriduh!
Gordon Robertson
May 21, 2023 at 2:01 pm
Is she going to bei a pupet for the national d Ems?? Try to Push schooll unions FTP for local schooll cant wait to See what she beleives
Ben Brook
May 22, 2023 at 9:54 am
School unions are not any part of city administration.
Arthur Smith
May 21, 2023 at 6:20 pm
I hope in my opinion that’s someone can begin to bring people together rather then divide because at the end of the day we all need each other in some way are another and this peace of history of election of the first female mayor of Jacksonville can at least be a start are beginning to at least hope and be inspired by better days ahead to come
Dan
May 22, 2023 at 7:43 am
The last thing Duval County needs is another Demon-crat. No social program will stop the violence. You need to get tough on crime and quit pandering to the woke AL Sharpton wanna bees in Jacksonville. Renaming schools and taking down statues have and will not change anything for the good. Just a waste of tax payer money. And there lies the problem. Too many in Jacksonville don’t pay taxes because they’re living off of the system. Wake up people.
George
May 22, 2023 at 8:14 am
What a breath of fresh air Donna represents. I pray for her success, transparency, and compassion as she leads the City of Jacksonville / Duval County into a future of growth and improvement.
Tim temple
May 22, 2023 at 8:53 am
Remember when Obama became president, he called witches to come sweep out righteousness in D.C.
He needs Christian deliverance on a regular basis.
Crystal
May 22, 2023 at 10:54 am
What does that have to do with Jacksonville and all the hate and evil our Governor is spreading throughout the state.
Sandie
May 22, 2023 at 12:44 pm
Thank you people who voted for Donna Deegan. She may not do it all but something is better than nothing. YES BRING THE PEOPLE TOGETHER. WORK TOGETHER AND IT WILL BE AMAZING WHAT IT DOES
MH/Duuuval
May 22, 2023 at 9:35 pm
It’s ironic to hear local officials who are GOP complain about the Legislature usurping home rule. You’d think the Legislature was dropped in from deep space, and not the product of years of top-down grooming and financing by the GOP.
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