Poll: Donna Deegan, other Jacksonville leaders exceed 60% approval with voters

Donna Deegan.

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.