Municipal elections in Jacksonville, Florida (2015)
 |
The city of Jacksonville, Florida, held elections for mayor and city council on May 19, 2015. A primary took place on March 24, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was January 16, 2015. All 19 city council seats were up for election.[1]
In the mayoral race, Democrat Alvin Brown failed to secure a second term, losing to local Republican businessman Lenny Curry in a fiercely competitive general election. Three challengers initially filed to run against Brown back in January 2015: two Republican candidates and one Independent. When Brown was first elected in 2011, he became not only the first African-American to hold the position in Jacksonville's history, but also the first Democrat to be elected mayor since Ed Austin in 1991.[2] In the March primary, Brown and Curry advanced past Omega Allen (I) and Jacksonville councilman Bill Bishop (R) to the general election. A poll released shortly after the primary showed Brown with a slight advantage over Curry, but the lead shifted in early May as the general election approached. Official results gave Curry the win 51.3-48.7.
Republican Bill Bishop, who received almost 17 percent of the vote in the primary, announced in late April that he would support Brown over Curry. This happened not long after Bishop stated that he would endorse neither candidate and was, in fact, gearing up for another run in 2019. Statewide politicos in Florida also got involved in the race. Republican Gov. Rick Scott backed Lenny Curry, while Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson threw his weight behind Brown. Towards the end of the race, presidential politics entered into the picture. Duval County is a swing county in a swing state (Romney won the county about 51 to 48 percent in 2012). As a result, 2016 presidential hopefuls such as Rick Perry (R), Jeb Bush (R) and Marco Rubio (R) openly voiced their support for Curry, while former President Bill Clinton (D) actually attended a fundraiser in Jacksonville on Brown's behalf.[3] More information about polling, election results and endorsements is below.
In the city council races, Republicans held on to their majority, though it decreased slightly from 13-6 to 12-7. A total of 56 candidates filed for the 19 council seats. The partisan breakdown was 23 Republicans, 31 Democrats and 2 Independents. Nine of these candidates were incumbents — three Democrats and six Republicans. Term limits prevented eight council members from running for re-election. The District 7 seat was an open seat following Johnny Gaffney's resignation in February 2015. Gaffney ran for a seat in the Florida House of Representatives in 2014. State law required him to resign from his office in Jacksonville. At-large Group 5 councilman Robin Lumb announced his intention not to seek re-election shortly after accepting a new position as Chairman of the Duval County Republican Party.[4]
In council races where one candidate received a majority of the votes in the primary, the general election was canceled. This happened in eleven races: Districts 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 and in at-large groups 2 and 4. Only eight races proceeded to the general election: Districts 1, 2, 4, 7 and 8 and at-large groups 1, 3 and 5.
Public safety, LGBT issues and outside money were just some of the points of contention that shaped Jacksonville's 2015 election cycle. Violent crime rates remained consistently high throughout much of Brown's first term, pushing both general election candidates — Brown and Curry — to make public safety a key priority for their campaigns. An LGBT anti-discrimination ordinance that the city council voted down in 2012 resurfaced as a major topic of discussion, while at the same time Brown and Curry accused each other of accepting support and campaign contributions from groups that were criticized for negatively impacting Jacksonville's local environment. You can read more about these issues below.
Mayor
Candidate list
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
Omega Allen
Bill Bishop
Alvin Brown
- Incumbent Brown was first elected to office in 2011.
- May 19 General election candidates:
Election results
| Mayor of Jacksonville, General Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Lenny Curry |
51.3% | 103,626 | |
| Democratic | Alvin Brown Incumbent | 48.7% | 98,353 | |
| Total Votes | 201,979 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Mayor of Jacksonville, Primary Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Alvin Brown Incumbent |
42.6% | 78,713 | |
| Republican | Lenny Curry |
38.4% | 70,891 | |
| Republican | Bill Bishop | 16.8% | 30,944 | |
| Nonpartisan | Omega Allen | 2.2% | 4,046 | |
| Total Votes | 184,594 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Official primary election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
Polling
General election polling
| 2015 Jacksonville Mayoral Election | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Alvin Brown* | Lenny Curry | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | ||||||||||||||
| St. Pete Polls (May 5, 2015) | 44.7% | 49.0% | 6.2% | +/-3.1 | 1,026 | ||||||||||||||
| St. Pete Polls (March 26, 2015) | 49.4% | 46.1% | 4.5% | +/-3 | 1,076 | ||||||||||||||
| AVERAGES | 47.05% | 47.55% | 5.35% | +/-3.05 | 1,051 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Note: An asterisk (*) is used to denote incumbency.
Primary polling
| 2015 Jacksonville Mayoral Election | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Alvin Brown* | Lenny Curry | Bill Bishop | Other | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | ||||||||||||
| University of North Florida (February 23-27, 2015) | 37% | 25% | 11% | 3% | 25% | +/-4 | 546 | ||||||||||||
| St. Pete Polls (January 23-25, 2015) | 37.9% | 30.6% | 8.9% | 15.7% | 6.8% | +/-2.8 | 1,247 | ||||||||||||
| AVERAGES | 37.45% | 27.8% | 9.95% | 9.35% | 15.9% | +/-3.4 | 896.5 | ||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Note: An asterisk (*) is used to denote incumbency.
Endorsements
During this election cycle, Mayor Alvin Brown was endorsed by Sen. Bill Nelson (D).[5] Republican Gov. Rick Scott backed Lenny Curry.[6] Bill Bishop, who was eliminated in the primary, initially said that he was not endorsing either candidate and would run again in 2019.[7] On April 30, 2015, however, Bishop publicly endorsed Brown, saying, "While we don’t agree on everything and we probably never will, I’ve concluded that the best mayor for the next four years for our city is the man who has held the office for the past four years, and I’m proud to stand before you all today and announce I’m endorsing Alvin Brown for re-election."[8] Curry also picked up endorsements from 2016 presidential hopefuls Rick Perry (R), Jeb Bush (R) and Marco Rubio (R), while former President Bill Clinton (D) attended a fundraiser in the city on Brown's behalf.[3]
City council
2016 →
← 2014
|
|
2015 Elections By Date Recent News |
Arlington • Aurora • Boise Boston • Buffalo Charlotte • Chicago Cleveland • Colorado Springs • Columbus • Dallas • Denver Durham • El Paso Ferguson • Fort Wayne Fort Worth • Garland • Greensboro Henderson • Hialeah Houston • Indianapolis Irving • Jacksonville Kansas City • Laredo • Las Vegas • Lincoln • Los Angeles • Long Beach • Louisville • Madison Memphis • Miami Milwaukee • Nashville North Las Vegas Oklahoma City • Orlando Philadelphia • Phoenix Pittsburgh • Plano • Raleigh Riverside • Sacramento San Antonio San Francisco San Jose • Seattle St. Louis • St. Paul St. Petersburg • Tampa Toledo • Tucson Washington, D.C. Wichita |
| Note: Cities listed in this box are those among the 100 largest in the United States that held elections in 2015. |
Candidate list
At-large Group 1
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
- May 19 General election candidates:
At-large Group 2
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
At-large Group 3
- Note: Incumbent Stephen C. Joost (R) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
- May 19 General election candidates:
At-large Group 4
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
At-large Group 5
- Note: Incumbent Robin Lumb (R) did not run for re-election.
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
- May 19 General election candidates:
District 1
- Note: Incumbent Clay Yarborough (R) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
- May 19 General election candidates:
District 2
- Note: Incumbent William H. Bishop (R) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
- May 19 General election candidates:
District 3
- Note: Incumbent Richard Clark (R) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
District 4
- Note: Incumbent Don Redman (R) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
- May 19 General election candidates:
District 5
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
District 6
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
District 7
- Note: Johnny Gaffney (D) resigned from office in February 2015.[9]
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
- May 19 General election candidates:
District 8
- Note: Incumbent E. Denise Lee (D) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
- May 19 General election candidates:
District 9
- Note: Incumbent Warren A. Jones (D) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
District 10
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
District 11
- Note: Incumbent Ray Holt (R) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
District 12
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
District 13
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
District 14
- March 24 Primary election candidates:
Election results
General election
| Jacksonville City Council, District At-large Group 1, General Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Anna Lopez Brosche |
55.2% | 108,698 | |
| Democratic | Kimberly Daniels Incumbent | 44.8% | 88,133 | |
| Total Votes | 196,831 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, At-large Group 3, General Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Tommy Hazouri |
55.3% | 110,071 | |
| Republican | Geoff 'Jeff' Youngblood | 44.7% | 88,841 | |
| Total Votes | 198,912 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, At-large Group 5, General Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Sam Newby |
51.2% | 100,139 | |
| Democratic | Ju'Coby Pittman | 48.8% | 95,499 | |
| Total Votes | 195,638 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, District 1, General Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Joyce Morgan |
52.2% | 7,396 | |
| Republican | Mike Anania | 47.8% | 6,762 | |
| Total Votes | 14,158 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, District 2, General Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Al Ferraro |
57.9% | 9,676 | |
| Democratic | Lisa King | 42.1% | 7,033 | |
| Total Votes | 16,709 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, District 4, General Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Scott Wilson |
63% | 7,170 | |
| Democratic | Ramon Day | 37% | 4,203 | |
| Total Votes | 11,373 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, District 7, General Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Reggie Gaffney |
51% | 6,528 | |
| Democratic | George A. Spencer, Jr. | 49% | 6,276 | |
| Total Votes | 12,804 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, District 8, General Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Katrina Brown |
51.1% | 7,740 | |
| Democratic | Pat Lockett-Felder | 48.9% | 7,405 | |
| Total Votes | 15,145 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
Primary election
| Jacksonville City Council, At-large Group 1, Primary Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Kimberly Daniels Incumbent |
35.3% | 62,688 | |
| Republican | Anna Lopez Brosche |
29.5% | 52,421 | |
| Republican | David A. Taylor | 25% | 44,284 | |
| Democratic | Terry Reed | 10.2% | 18,035 | |
| Total Votes | 177,428 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, At-large Group 2, Primary Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | John R. Crescimbeni Incumbent |
52.8% | 93,676 | |
| Republican | David Barron | 29.6% | 52,502 | |
| Republican | Theresa Graham | 17.6% | 31,312 | |
| Total Votes | 177,490 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, At-large Group 3, Primary Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Tommy Hazouri |
44.8% | 80,561 | |
| Republican | Geoff 'Jeff' Youngblood |
42.2% | 75,840 | |
| Democratic | Mincy Pollock | 13% | 23,424 | |
| Total Votes | 179,825 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, At-large Group 4, Primary Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Greg Anderson Incumbent |
57.4% | 100,568 | |
| Democratic | Juanita Powell-Williams | 42.6% | 74,789 | |
| Total Votes | 175,357 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, At-large Group 5, Primary Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Ju'Coby Pittman |
46% | 80,659 | |
| Republican | Sam Newby |
28% | 48,976 | |
| Republican | Michelle Tappouni | 26% | 45,579 | |
| Total Votes | 175,214 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, District 1, Primary Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Joyce Morgan |
39.7% | 5,132 | |
| Republican | Mike Anania |
38.7% | 5,004 | |
| Democratic | Melody Shacter | 12% | 1,554 | |
| Republican | Eddie Christian | 9.5% | 1,229 | |
| Total Votes | 12,919 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, District 2, Primary Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Lisa King |
37.5% | 5,648 | |
| Republican | Al Ferraro |
35.2% | 5,304 | |
| Republican | Jack Daniels | 27.3% | 4,106 | |
| Total Votes | 15,058 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections "Official primary election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, District 3, Primary Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Aaron Bowman |
62.7% | 7,035 | |
| Republican | James Nealis | 37.3% | 4,181 | |
| Total Votes | 11,216 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, District 4, Primary Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Scott Wilson |
34.9% | 3,575 | |
| Democratic | Ramon Day |
33.2% | 3,395 | |
| Republican | Fred Engness | 16% | 1,638 | |
| Republican | Ryan Taylor | 15.9% | 1,626 | |
| Total Votes | 10,234 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Official primary election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, District 6, Primary Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Matt Schellenberg Incumbent |
67.2% | 10,899 | |
| Republican | Connie Benham | 32.8% | 5,312 | |
| Total Votes | 16,211 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, District 7, Primary Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Reggie Gaffney |
33.8% | 3,947 | |
| Democratic | George A. Spencer, Jr. |
25.2% | 2,943 | |
| Democratic | Donald Foy | 11.8% | 1,381 | |
| Democratic | Sirretta Williams | 10.1% | 1,181 | |
| Nonpartisan | Niki Brunson | 9.3% | 1,091 | |
| Democratic | James Eddy | 3.8% | 442 | |
| Democratic | Marc McCullough | 3.5% | 408 | |
| Democratic | Wendell Sams | 2.5% | 296 | |
| Total Votes | 11,689 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Official primary election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, District 8, Primary Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Katrina Brown |
30.4% | 4,237 | |
| Democratic | Pat Lockett-Felder |
25.2% | 3,513 | |
| Democratic | Terry L. Fields | 23.5% | 3,280 | |
| Democratic | Lynn Sherman | 11.9% | 1,663 | |
| Democratic | James M. Breaker | 8.9% | 1,245 | |
| Total Votes | 13,938 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Official primary election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, District 9, Primary Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Garrett Dennis |
60.1% | 5,487 | |
| Democratic | Glorious J. Johnson | 39.9% | 3,640 | |
| Total Votes | 9,127 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, District 10, Primary Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Reginald L. Brown Incumbent |
66.8% | 8,858 | |
| Democratic | Celestine Mills | 18.8% | 2,493 | |
| Nonpartisan | Joseph Willis | 14.4% | 1,902 | |
| Total Votes | 13,253 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, District 12, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Doyle Carter Incumbent |
66.5% | 8,468 | |
| Democratic | Abner Davis | 33.5% | 4,260 | |
| Total Votes | 12,728 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
| Jacksonville City Council, District 14, Primary Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Jim Love Incumbent |
68.2% | 10,187 | |
| Democratic | Jason Tetlak | 31.8% | 4,755 | |
| Total Votes | 14,942 | |||
| Source: Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary election results," accessed May 29, 2015 | ||||
Districts map
Below is a map of Jacksonville's council districts. There are fourteen districts of roughly equal size. Each district elects its own representative on the council. Click the map to return to the candidate list.
Issues
Public safety
With one of the most consistently high violent crime rates in Florida, public safety is often a major issue in Jacksonville politics.[10] But as 2013 and 2014 both saw upticks in murders, shootings and gang violence in and around the city, the issue became pivotal in Jacksonville's mayoral race.[11] Candidate Lenny Curry (R), in fact, made public safety the centerpiece of his campaign. When First Coast News asked him what he saw as the most pressing issues in Jacksonville, Curry responded:
| “ | Public Safety is undoubtedly the most serious challenge facing our city. Elected officials have no greater responsibility than to ensure our streets are safe. My first priority will always be to have police, fire, and rescue operations that ensure we meet this responsibility. Unfortunately, Alvin Brown has cut police budgets, taken 147 police off our streets and now we see homicide and other violent crime on the rise. We also need to back programs that bring hope and opportunity to young people so that they can recognize their value in our city.[12][13] | ” |
In the same interview, Curry noted that his first priority as mayor would be to implement funding for almost 150 new police officers in Jacksonville.[12]
Incumbent Mayor Alvin Brown (D) also placed a heavy emphasis on public safety. He advocated working with the Duval County Sheriff's Office to hire 80 new officers in his second term. He also defended his record on crime, saying that overall crime rates dropped 10 percent during his first term and that "while there is still work to be done — together, as a community — we’ve laid the foundation toward making Jacksonville a safer place to live for our families and loved ones."[14]
LGBT ordinance
In 2012, the Jacksonville City Council voted against a hotly disputed proposal to add "sexual orientation, gender identity or expression" to the city's anti-discrimination laws. But despite the fact that the council voted 17-2 against the ordinance, the matter did not end there. As public opinion on LGBT issues throughout the country began to change and as other Florida cities, such as Tampa, Miami and Orlando, passed their own anti-discrimination laws, a push for a comparable initiative in Jacksonville quickly resurfaced. The issue became pivotal in the city's 2015 municipal elections.[15][16]
Mayor Brown and his general election opponent, Lenny Curry, both avoided taking a firm stance on whether or not they would support an LGBT ordinance as mayor. Curry told Jacksonville.com:
| “ | I reject the idea that the people of Jacksonville are people who discriminate. However I recognize that there are some individuals who may discriminate, and I reject oppression and discrimination in all its forms. Oppression and discrimination are wrong, and as mayor I will not only be part of discussions about our problems, but I will lead by bringing together local stakeholders, business owners, and faith leaders to ensure we continue to have a city where that respects and celebrates our shared goals and our differences. With my leadership, the people of Jacksonville will be the source of solutions to Jacksonville’s challenges.[17][13] | ” |
Mayor Brown made similar statements. At the time of the council vote in 2012, for example, he told reporters, "I’m against discrimination," but he ultimately refrained from speaking out for or against the measure. Groups on both sides of the issue sharply criticized Brown for not taking a clear position.[18][16]
| Florida metros: LGBT populations[19] | ||
|---|---|---|
| City | LGBT percent of population | |
| Jacksonville | 4.3% | |
| Miami | 4.2% | |
| Orlando | 4.1% | |
| Tampa | 4.0% | |
| National average | 3.5% | |
| Florida average | 3.5% | |
In April 2014, however, Brown signaled that his stance on an LGBT ordinance may have changed. He ordered city lawyers to conduct a study of Jacksonville's existent anti-discrimination laws, while his campaign spokesperson, Yianni Varonis, stated, "Over the course of the last several months, it became abundantly clear that people want action to set the city up to know how to handle discrimination." On the other hand, Varonis also stated that Brown's actions did not necessarily represent a shift in policy. In regards to Brown's stance on the ordinance in 2012, Varonis said, "I don’t think it’s necessarily a difference except the fact that he has had three more years to be mayor and had the opportunity to spend more time with his constituents … and to learn more about the issues they care about."[20]
The University of North Florida released a survey in March 2015, showing that 62 percent of registered voters in Jacksonville support an LGBT anti-discrimination measure, though the survey also revealed that it was not a top priority for most citizens.[21] The Jacksonville metro area has the highest rate of LGBT citizens in Florida and the 15th-highest in the country.[22]
Outside money and pollution
In the mayoral race, Mayor Brown (D) and challenger Lenny Curry (R) accused each other of accepting campaign donations from groups that were criticized for negatively impacting Jacksonville's local environment. Brown's campaign, for example, argued that Koch Industries, which owns a company in Jacksonville, gave money to the Florida state GOP, who, in turn, supported Curry's mayoral bid. Some in Jacksonville have accused Koch Industries of polluting the St. John's river.
Curry's campaign responded to these allegations in kind by citing Brown's ties to a local waste management company, which attracted criticism for its environmental impact. Curry's campaign manager also found fault with the way that Brown's camp sought to tie Curry to Koch Industries, saying, "Claiming money given to (state Republicans) and Gov. Rick Scott 3 years ago is somehow part of Curry’s campaign is ridiculous."[23]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Jacksonville Florida Election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
- Duval County Supervisor of Elections - Official 2015 Candidate List
- Duval County Supervisor of Elections - Upcoming Elections
- Duval County Supervisor of Elections - Official primary election results
- Duval County Supervisor of Elections - Official general election results
Footnotes
- ↑ Duval County Supervisor of Elections, "Upcoming Elections," accessed September 19, 2014
- ↑ Jacksonville.com, "Alvin Brown makes history as city's first African-American mayor," May 19, 2011
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Jacksonville.com, "Presidential hopefuls keep eyes on Jacksonville mayor's race," May 18, 2015
- ↑ Jacksonville.com, "Robin Lumb won't seek re-election to Jacksonville City Council, will focus on new role as local GOP chairman," December 30, 2014
- ↑ The Florida Times-Union, "U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson endorses Mayor Brown for re-election citing bipartisan leadership," April 1, 2015
- ↑ The Florida Times-Union, "Gov. Rick Scott backs Lenny Curry over Mayor Alvin Brown," March 30, 2015
- ↑ First Coast News, "Bishop snubs Brown, Curry; announces 2019 campaign," March 31, 2015
- ↑ Jacksonville.com, "Bishop endorses Brown for re-election; Curry camp says Bishop reneged on promise to stay neutral," April 30, 2015
- ↑ Jacksonville.com, "Johnny Gaffney's departure from City Council could affect Jacksonville pension vote," January 10, 2015
- ↑ Jacksonville.com, "Jacksonville remains murder capital of Florida," November 1, 2012
- ↑ WJCT News, "After A Bloody Year, Violence Continues For Jacksonville In 2014," January 7, 2014
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 First Coast News, "5 Questions: Lenny Curry," March 5, 2015
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Jacksonville News Post, "Mayor Brown said he will recommend next sheriff hire 80 new Jacksonville police officers," April 15, 2015
- ↑ Tampa Bay Times, "LGBT anti-discrimination issue complicates Jacksonville mayor's race," March 28, 2015
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Jacksonville.com, "Is Jacksonville ready for a broadened Human Rights Ordinance?" October 25, 2014
- ↑ Jacksonville.com, "Meet the candidate: Lenny Curry," February 26, 2015
- ↑ Folio Weekly, "Much ado about nothing? Alvin Brown faces off with LGBT PAC at Hemming Park," March 23, 2015
- ↑ Gallup, "San Francisco Metro Area Ranks Highest in LGBT Percentage," March 20, 2015
- ↑ Jax Daily Record, "Mayor Alvin Brown asked for study of anti-discrimination laws after realizing issue's importance to residents," April 24, 2015
- ↑ Jacksonville.com, "UNF poll finds voters back HRO expansion, open to tax increases and rate crime top concern," March 9, 2015
- ↑ The New York Times, "The Metro Areas With the Largest, and Smallest, Gay Populations," March 20, 2015
- ↑ Jacksonville.com, "Alvin Brown, Lenny Curry spar over who's taking money from polluters," April 21, 2015
 |
State of Florida Tallahassee (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |