Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland is latest Republican exploring run for mayor

Yahoo

28-07-2025

Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland is exploring a run for mayor in 2027, saying he is "all in" on becoming a candidate but wants to gauge whether there is a path for a Republican challenger to defeat Democratic incumbent Donna Deegan.
He joins City Council member Ron Salem among current Republican officeholders considering a challenge to Deegan. Three Republicans have already filed including the founder of the Grounds of Grace coffee company.
Holland, who has repeatedly won countywide races for property appraiser and supervisor of elections, has tested running for mayor in previous election cycles. He said he's reached the point in his career that if he's going to run for mayor, the 2027 election would be the last slot for him to do it.
"This is my window, my opportunity to do this," he said. "I'm not discouraging anyone from running. It's going to take several people running to really find out what the electorate wants."
He said he has told his supporters that if he runs, he'll pledge to serve just one four-year term as mayor.
"I think there are some real serious issues to come in the next term and I don't want to run with the mindset of how do I get re-elected," he said.
Holland would be a familiar name on the ballot. He served on City Council from 1999 to 2005 when he won a special election for Supervisor of Elections. He served 10 years in that post and then won election as property appraiser from 2015 to 2023 when voters elected him again as supervisor of elections.
He said compared to recent mayors who did not have prior experience in elected office, he thinks his background would be an asset. He said he understands the city's budget and would have a good working relationship with Republicans and Democrats on City Council.
He said he plans to do polling after City Council approves the 2025-26 budget and then aim for making a decision in November.
Salem, who has won election twice in countywide voting for an at-large council seat, also has said he is considering a run for mayor.
"I travel around town and I run into people who encourage me to get into that race and I will continue to evaluate it," Salem said. "I think there's still ample time to determine if the community would rally around my candidacy if I ran."
Salem will be in the thick of the summer budget hearings because he serves on the council's Finance Committee.
Three Republicans have filed so far for the 2027 mayor's race: Ronald "Ron" Armstrong, Jr., Harry Daniel Long III and Brian Hicks.
Armstrong has been the most active candidate. He has raised $13,476 and created a campaign website while doing a petition drive to qualify him for the 2027 ballot.
He founded Grounds of Grace coffee company that supports Sponsored by Grace, a nonprofit that works on community revitalization and helping children who are growing up in poverty.
In a campaign video, Armstrong said he was addicted to drugs and alcohol when he came to Jacksonville in 2010, but he was able to gain purpose "when the Gospel changed my life." He said others helped put him on a path toward sobriety and starting a family.
"I was given a chance I didn't deserve right here in this city and that's why I'm running for the mayor of Jacksonville in 2027 to serve this city that gave me a chance," he said.
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His website says his initiatives include expanding mental health resources, strengthening families and revitalizing communities.
"What would it look like if we bridged the gap between the life we hope for and the people we can be?" he said in his campaign video. "Join me in the movement to bridge the gap."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland weighs mayoral run
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