Election Day is March 21.
Published on February 14, 2023 at 9:19 pm
Seven candidates for Jacksonville mayor will appear on ballots in the March 21st elections, as Mayor Lenny Curry nears the end of his two-term limit. With a qualified write-in candidate in the running, Duval County voters have a total of eight choices spanning the political spectrum.
In Jacksonville’s unitary election, voters can cast a ballot for any candidate, regardless of their party affiliation. Unless one of them garners more than 50% of the vote in March, there will be a runoff between the top two vote-getters on May 16th.
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See which candidate aligns most with your views by taking our Mayoral Matching quiz!
Meet your mayoral match!
How it works
To create this quiz, Jacksonville Today developed questions and answers based on public interest, candidates’ campaign promises, current Mayor Lenny Curry’s track record and what local experts have suggested as ways to tackle local issues.
Jacksonville Today asked all mayoral candidates to fill out the same multiple-choice questionnaire, with the option to skip questions and add additional context at the end of the quiz. As you answer each question, the quiz will show you which participating candidates answered the same way as you.
Potential matches include Republican Leanna Gutierrez Cumber, Democrat Donna Deegan, Republican Al Ferraro, Democrat Audrey Gibson, no-party-affiliate Brian Griffin and Republican Frank Keasler — NPA Omega Allen and Republican Daniel Davis did not respond to multiple invitations to participate from Jacksonville Today. Al Ferraro’s campaign said he was “not comfortable with submitting his responses on these important issues the city is facing in this multiple choice format that’s provided.” Instead, Ferraro submitted short answers to each question, which appear as the “Other” option in the quiz. (There was no “Other” or fill-in-the-blank option in the candidate questionnaire. Here’s what candidates received.)
Donna Deegan’s campaign asked to add this context to her answers: “Leadership requires setting priorities and making difficult decisions with community input. I answered all the questions because I believe in that statement. I also believe that many of our city’s complex challenges require a strategic plan and comprehensive approach that don’t easily fit within a multiple choice answer.”
More about each candidate
Editor’s note: Candidates are listed in the order they appear on the ballot. Bios were either submitted by the campaigns and edited for brevity, or taken from candidates’ statements to the election supervisor or their campaign website.
Omega Allen, NPA
Candidate bio: “Dr. Omega Allen is a native of Jacksonville with a heart for equity and justice in all things for the people in her community. She served as the Chair of the NW Jacksonville Economic Development Committee, bringing financial support to businesses North and West of the River.” (Omega Allen did not respond to Jacksonville Today’s invitation to participate. This bio is an excerpt of her candidate statement to the Duval Supervisor of Elections.)
Campaign cash: $18,392.
Candidate website: Omega Allen 4 Mayor.
LeAnna Gutierrez Cumber, REP
Candidate bio: “I own a transportation infrastructure consulting firm and I am an attorney who previously worked as a 3rd grade bilingual public school teacher. After receiving my law degree, I helped create a legal clinic for the victims of domestic violence. On city council, I continued my passion for protecting women & girls by passing a comprehensive sex trafficking bill which cracks down on the scourge of human trafficking.”
Campaign cash: $3.8 million (includes $576,010 reported to Duval elections and $3,182,417 to her PAC, JAX First).
Candidate website: LeAnna for Mayor.
Daniel Davis, REP
Candidate bio: “Daniel was executive director of the Northeast Florida Builders Association, Florida’s largest local membership trade association representing the building and construction industry for 14 years. For the last decade, as CEO of the JAX Chamber, he has served our business community – from our largest employers to the smallest mom and pops.” (Daniel Davis did not respond to Jacksonville Today’s invitation to participate. This bio is an excerpt from his website.)
Campaign cash: $5.3 million (includes $570,620 reported to Duval elections and $4,720,672 to his PAC, Building a Better Economy, since January 2021).
Candidate website: Daniel Davis Jacksonville.
Donna Deegan, DEM
Candidate bio: “As a 25-year veteran broadcast journalist and former lead anchor of First Coast News, Donna has listened to and shared the stories of people living in every corner of this city, and has reported on the systemic problems that exist within our communities. After being diagnosed three times with breast cancer, she founded the DONNA Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to supporting breast cancer education, outreach, and treatment for underinsured women in Northeast Florida. Donna’s roots in Jacksonville trace back generations, and she is motivated to continue her family’s legacy of service by making Jacksonville a city that works for all of its residents.”
Campaign cash: $940,170 (includes $412,330 reported to Duval elections and $527,840 to her PAC, Donna For Duval).
Candidate website: Donna Deegan for Mayor
Al Ferraro, REP
Candidate bio: “Al Ferraro and his wife of almost 33 years raised one child, Amanda, and own a small business here in Jacksonville. Elected to serve on the City Council in 2015 and subsequently reelected for a second term, Al earned a reputation of being an honest and humble public servant. Al is an active member of his church, a former J.S.O. reserve officer, and an active member of the M.A.D. D.A.D.S. organization.”
Campaign cash: $256,875 (includes $108,646 reported to Duval elections and $148,229 to his PAC, Keep it Real Jax, since January 2021).
Candidate website: Ferraro for Mayor.
Audrey Gibson, DEM
Candidate bio: “Audrey Gibson is a resident of Jacksonville who has 20 years of legislative experience in the Florida House and Senate. Audrey has budget, finance, transportation, economic development, military affairs, and policy expertise from serving on numerous committees in the Florida House and Senate, which will be impactful as Mayor. Audrey Gibson has a plan to address the most pressing issues of the city by shifting the philosophy of how the city is managed and focusing on affordable housing, crime & safety, as well as small business development.”
Campaign cash: $32,478.
Candidate website: Team Audrey Gibson.
Brian Griffin, NPA (Write-In)
Candidate bio: “I am 57, born in Panama, raised in Honduras, so racial inequity is not normal to me. I am a fiscal conservative, no party affiliated, write-in candidate, so my promises are real & not influenced by party politics. My platform is cutting crime, storm resilience/readiness, making our public schools the best & working with DOT to solve the traffic congestion.”
Campaign cash: $0.
Candidate website: Read his full candidate statement on the Duval Elections website.
Frank Keasler, REP
Candidate bio: “Frank R. Keasler is a native-born citizen of Jacksonville. Frank earned a B.B.S. in Accounting from UNF, a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from Cumberland School of Law, and a Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Florida. Frank is “dad” to four wonderful children: Chapman (25), Grayson (22), Maddox (19) and Fallan (18). A man of faith and uncompromising belief in the gift of life bestowed from the Creator who shed His Grace on This Land. Frank is answering a call by God and of, by and for We The People…Who believe and live knowing this is The Land of the Free and The Home of the Brave, and a Nation where Liberty and Justice must ring true…FOR ALL.”
Campaign cash: $20,200.
Candidate website: Keasler 4 Mayor.
Editor’s note: This story was updated on 2/15/23 with responses from mayoral candidate Frank Keasler. An earlier version of the quiz had a bug that displayed answers in the summary that the user had not selected. The bug did not affect the match results. We apologize for any confusion.
Quiz design and development: Ray Hollister and Matthew Forgette for Jacksonville Today
