State Rep. Wyman Duggan jumped into the Jacksonville mayor's race by saying he would shift the city's attention away from downtown development and put "real accountability" on the city's independent authorities
such as JEA and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority.
Duggan, a Republican, will challenge Mayor Donna Deegan, a Democrat, in the spring 2027 contest.
"Jacksonville already is a great city," Duggan said Oct. 2 outside the Duval County Supervisor of Elections office after filing paperwork for his campaign. "It deserves a mayor who tackles problems, asks the hard questions before money is borrowed and delivers for every part of town."
He said he is "running to bring new conservative leadership to all of Jacksonville."
"That means real accountability of the authorities," Duggan said. "It means real relief on (JEA) utility bills instead of shrugging when the costs go up."
He ripped the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's autonomous transit shuttles— called NAVI for Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Innovation — as a waste of money.
"Jacksonville did not need an expensive urban science fair project while workers are trying to get to their jobs and seniors are trying to get to the doctor," Duggan said.
He said said being an independent authority "should not mean nobody is held accountable" for the layoffs and transit service cuts at JTA.
"A mayor should not stand by while independent authorities are run over," Duggan said. "A mayor should appoint serious people who ask hard questions and make sure the people paying the bills are not treated like an ATM."
Duggan said the city's property tax rate and fees are too high, but he did not make any specific pledges for how he would lower them or the rates that JEA customers pay for electric and water service.
He took aim at tens of millions of dollars in cash completion grants the city has used as incentives for residential development in downtown.
"I want a downtown the city is proud of but downtown should not come first every single time," he said. "Imagine what Jacksonville neighborhoods could look like if City Hall invested the same energy and urgency into the streets where we actually live, work, worship and raise our families."
Duggan won election to the state House in 2018 and rose to speaker of the House pro tempore in 2024, the second-highest leadership position. He said his legislative record shows how he would govern as mayor.
"In my time in the Legislature, I've always tried to do the job the right way — less talk, more problem-solving, and a focus on the neighborhoods and the people I represent," he said. "I delivered tax relief for working families and small businesses. I supported workforce development so people can build a future for themselves right here in Jacksonville."
Mayor Deegan's campaign responds to Wyman Duggan challenge
Deegan's campaign said in a statement after Duggan's announcement she has "spent her time in office listening to residents and getting things done."
"From historic investments in first responders and infrastructure to strengthening our local economy and businesses, she has delivered on priorities that matter to our community," the statement said. "Mayor Deegan wants to build on that momentum while keeping Jacksonville affordable, strengthening neighborhoods and expanding opportunities for families and businesses."
The campaign said Deegan is "investing tens of millions of dollars in historically disinvested neighborhoods while working collaboratively to address challenges at independent authorities that are overseen by local, state and federal government."
Duggan who was born in Jacksonville, is an attorney at Rogers Tower where his practice focuses on land use and zoning matters. As a registered lobbyist, he often appeared before City Council and city departments representing clients seeking approval for developments.
He is no longer registered to actively represent any clients. When he took questions from reporters after his announcement, Duggan said he will not do any lobbying while he runs for mayor.
Asked about how to cut city spending, Duggan said that could start with findings by state Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia who said in June the city's budget has $275 million in "excessive, wasteful spending." Ingoglia did not identify any specific programs or services as excessive or wasteful.
"We'll start there and we'll build out from there," Duggan said. "I'm not saying we're going to cut, cut, cut but we're going to examine assumptions and we're going to make the right choices."
Wyman Duggan raps giving taxpayer incentives for luxury apartments
He said for downtown development, he supports incentives that are paid out over several years by drawing from new property taxes generated by the developments. He said that type of incentive is good policy but if other incentives, which have included hefty cash completion grants, are required to make the numbers work, "maybe they're not the right projects."
"To say that we need to incentivize luxury apartments on the Southbank when families are struggling, they're tightening their belts, seniors are tightening their belts, small businesses are tightening their belts, makes no sense to me," Duggan said.
He said the longstanding city fees and taxes that are tacked onto JEA bills and the recent increase in the city's residential garbage fee should be "on the table" for possible reductions.
"I think there's an opportunity, particularly with some of the JEA fees, where we could give some real relief that every ratepayer will feel, whether they rent, whether they own, whether they are a business owner, whether they are a nonprofit, whether they're any kind of civic institution," he said. "Everyone pays a JEA bill."
He took a neutral stance on a November ballot referendum on increasing the homestead exemption for homeowners to $180,000 in 2027 and then to $250,000 in 2028.
Deegan is among the local elected officials in Northeast Florida who have said the size of the proposed increase in the homestead exemption would hit everyday government services that people rely on. She has called it an attempted "Tallahassee takeover" that would leave local governments with the consequences.
Duggan voted in the Legislature to put the constitutional amendment before statewide voters. "We put it on the ballot because we trust the voters to tell us how much govenment they can afford," he said.
Duggan's filing for mayor will likely round out the field for next year's election.
Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland and City Council members Ron Salem and Rory Diamond considered running for mayor but opted against it, making Duggan the only elected leader on the GOP side challenging Deegan.
Republicans have wanted to avoid a repeat of 2023 when several well-known Republicans battled each other and Deegan emerged as the winner in a run-off election with Daniel Davis.
First-time candidate Ron Armstrong, a Republican, has been active on the campaign trail as he seeks enough signatures to qualify by petition for the March election.
Deegan leads the pack in fundraising. Her campaign has raised nearly $190,000 and her political committee Duval for All has banked $2.5 million since early 2024 while spending about $292,000.
The Better Jacksonville Committee supporting Duggan has raised about $2.5 million since 2017 and spent $1 million so he starts with a campaign fundraising base. The Republican Party of Florida contributed $110,000 to the Better Jacksonville Committee in September.
The first election will be March 9 and if no candidates gets more than 50%, the top two vote-getters will face off in a May 18 run-off election.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Race is on between Wyman Duggan and Donna Deegan for mayor
