A.G. Gancarski
Is Jacksonville politics in a protracted kumbaya moment?
That’s one potential read from the latest local survey from the University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab (PORL), which shows Mayor Donna Deegan, Sheriff T.K. Waters, and State Attorney Melissa Nelson resoundingly popular among 667 Duval County registered voters polled between May 21 and May 23.
Overall, the Democratic Mayor has 63% approval against 28% disapproval, with 78% of Democrats and 68% of No Party Affiliation voters approving of her.
Republicans are less enthusiastic about Deegan, the second Democrat elected to be Mayor in more than three decades: 41% approve of her, while 51% do not.
Though Deegan is the first female Mayor in Jacksonville history, she’s marginally more popular with men than women, with 64% of male voters and 62% of female voters approving of her.
“A little less than a year in office and Mayor Deegan’s approval is 63%,” UNF PORL Director Michael Binder stated. “Jax mayors have traditionally had positive approval ratings, but these are great numbers for the rookie mayor who has faced a number of early tests.”
Other local leaders aren’t much worse off, though, including two Republicans elected countywide.
“Sheriff Waters’ approval was similarly high with 64%, and 26% who disapprove. Sixty-one percent said they approve of the job State Attorney Nelson is doing, with 20% disapproving,” read the polling memo about two leaders who haven’t faced significant ballot box opposition since they were first elected.
Worth noting: both the Sheriff and the State Attorney are over 50% approval even with Democrats.
Survey respondents were less enthusiastic about the 19-person City Council, which is slated to choose Republicans Randy White and Kevin Carrico as President-designate and Vice President-designate during a leadership vote Tuesday afternoon. Still, with 47% approval and 42% disapproval, the legislative body is above water overall with most subgroups, except for 18-24 year olds and people who haven’t graduated college.
9 comments
Juan Fuentes
May 28, 2024 at 1:23 pm
Didn’t give mayor Keegan my vote & hope she’s not reelected. I object to the nefarious and devious manner she used to erase Jacksonville’s Civil War stance by removing the statue commemorating the women of the war. You cannot erase history and you cannot hide it. Learn from it!
MH/Duuuval
May 28, 2024 at 9:34 pm
Here’s a factoid for you: Florida had the most lynchings per capita of any state — including Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana.
rick whitaker
May 30, 2024 at 1:30 pm
JUAN FUENTES, it just don’t make sense to build statutes to the terrorist’ that were trying to destroy our country, or to the supporters of those same terrorist’. the confederates were terrorist’, get over it.
Frankie M.
May 28, 2024 at 7:05 pm
Guvmint in the Sunshine baby! Seber butthurt over some monuments that should never have been there in the first place. Just because they’re old doesn’t make them historical.
MH/Duuuval
May 29, 2024 at 12:08 pm
No complaints from the Neo-Confederates when Lenny took down Pvt. Hemmings’ statue. That was a nocturnal action; it was daylight when DD’s crew took down her statue.
the Truth
May 30, 2024 at 9:25 am
So you took them down, but the South was Right, the lynchings ha ha live with it
MH/Duuuval
May 30, 2024 at 11:23 am
Big rebel mouths like yours are the reason those monuments won’t be coming back in your lifetime. You definitely are telling racist truths, and folks today don’t care much for it.
rick whitaker
May 30, 2024 at 1:32 pm
THE TRUTH, how does it feel to be the MOST wrong person on this website, thrilling, huh.
the Truth
May 30, 2024 at 8:40 pm
feels great Rick, I love it,, but, I am right, the South was Right
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