City Council contenders file, qualify and announce for 2027
Jacksonville voters will take to the polls in the coming weeks to decide several races, as the Duval County elections office will be busy tallying votes in multiple contests. Leadership roles and political posturing are underway on the local level to decide a special election for a vacancy ahead on City Council, and both parties are vying for statewide nominations in the Republican and Democratic primaries for Governor Aug. 18.
In Florida, state primaries are reserved for party-affiliated voting only – registered Democrats vote for Democrats and registered Republicans vote for Republicans – party affiliation filing can change, but those seeking a party switch must carefully review guidelines in time to vote. For the local city council elections, the rules are different – local primaries are countywide, nonpartisan and open to all registered voters.
The local vote: Filling vacated city council at-large seat
Term-limited City Council Member Terrance Freeman announced his resignation to pursue a State House bid, with three candidates vying for the At-Large Group 1seat. The filed candidates are Deborah Wesley (R), a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Commander who will take on two others: Moné Holder (D), chief advocacy and political officer at Florida Rising and an appointed board member of Mayor Donna Deegan’s Planning and Zoning Department, and Addison Jade Patrick (LP). Patrick was lining up for the general election in 2027, but refiled and became a designated candidate for this month’s special election.
The victor of the At-Large seat will take office only if a decisive victory is declared during the primary in August. If one of the candidates doesn’t obtain a majority vote, a runoff will ensue during the General Election Nov. 3.
City Council’s latest announcements, candidates in the race
District 7 is seeing a shift in leadership as District 7 Council Member Jimmy Peluso (D) has filed his At-Large Group 4 candidacy to replace term-limited Council Member Matt Carlucci (R). Carlucci has served his city to its maximum to his term limit. Peluso will face off against two other filed candidates, both Republicans. They are: Andrew McCann and Matt McCullough.
Peluso relinquished his pursuit of reelection for the District 7 seat to make room for a run by Lisa Rinaman, who has worked in City Hall for two prior mayoral administrations before her tenure as the face and leadership at St. Johns Riverkeeper, the role she held for shy of 15 years.
Rinaman made her official announcement to run on Tuesday, Aug. 21st and shared a statement with Resident News about her run for District 7, which encompasses Riverside, Avondale, Ortega, portions of Murray Hill, Downtown and the Eastside.
“I spent 10 years in City Hall before I came to St. John’s Riverkeeper, and then of course have been really honored to serve as our river’s keeper for the last 14, nearly 15 years,” she said. “This was a big decision for me. And while I will definitely miss riverkeeping, this new chapter feels like coming home. It really feels like coming back to the urban core and really concentrating my time on things that matter, including the river as well as historic preservation and the revitalization and energizing of our entire urban core.”
Rinaman will face a crowded field of eight other filed candidates: James Martin Breaker, Jr. (D), Marlaina W. Geddes (D), Chaussee Autry Gibson (D), Timothy D. Johnson, Sr. (NPA), Terrance A. Jones (D), Marc McCullough (D), Bryson Kade Morgan (D), and Benjamin Frierson Sandlin (D).
Outside of Rinaman, another campaign announcement was made by a familiar face to Jacksonville politics on July 13. Scott Wilson (R) has returned. He is poised to compete for a seat in District 4. Wilson, a former city council president (2019 to 2020) and previous council aide to former Council Member Don Redman, helped launch the Special Investigative Committee regarding the sale of JEA and ensuing scandal that plagued former Mayor Lenny Curry’s final years in office. Wilson will take on incumbent Kevin Carrico for his District 4 seat, which Wilson represented during his prior stint in office. Robert Todd Jeffers (D) has also filed for the seat.
Large slate of gubernatorial candidates head to primaries
The Republican field has 12 candidates running for the seat of Florida Governor. Current Governor Ron DeSantis is term-limited and has also not endorsed a frontrunner as of press time. The leading candidates are Byron Donalds, Paul Renner, Lt. Governor Jay Collins, and James Fishback; the field also has Jim Holcomb, Arthur Joseph McCaffrey, Daniel Nokovich, William Reicherter, Rachel Rodriguez, James Shaw, Caneste Succe, and Bobby Williams vying in the primary.
On the Democratic side of the primary, there is also a crowded field with candidates Evelyn Castillo-Bach, Thomas Eloy Fernandez, Dayna Marie Foster, David Jolly, Dotie Joseph, and Stephann Norman filed and seeking the nomination.
Additional candidates include Dean Ocean Abrams (NPA), Kathy Anderson (WRI), Charles Burkett (NPA), Jeffrey Peter “Dr. Jeff” Datto (NPA), David “DJ” DeJesus (WRI), Richard Paul Dembinsky (WRI), Moliere “Moe” Dimanche (NPA), Scott Eckhard Jewett (LPF), M.W. Khan (WRI), Desmond Meade (NPA), Erik Morris (WRI) and Frank J. Russo (NPA).
Voting Information
Primary Election
Early Voting:
Aug. 7 to Aug. 16 | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Vote By Mail:
Deadline to request that the ballot be mailed: Aug. 6 | 5 p.m.
Vote-by-Mail Ballots
Cannot be dropped off at election day precincts.
Election Day:
August 18, 2026 | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
General Election
Early Voting:
Oct.19 to Nov. 1 | Times TBD
Vote By Mail:
Deadline to request that the ballot be mailed: Oct. 22 | 5 p.m.
Deadline to begin mailing Vote by Mail Ballots: Sept. 19 (UOCAVA)
Oct. 1 (Domestic)
Vote-by-Mail Ballots
Cannot be dropped off at election day precincts.
Election Day:
Nov. 3, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Deadline to Register to Vote:
Oct. 5
No deadline to change party affiliation
2026 Offices Up for Election
Governor
Lieutenant Governor
Attorney General
Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Chief Financial Officer
State Senator
District 4
Representative in Congress
District 4 and 5
State Representatives
Districts 12 – 17
School Board
Districts 2, 4, and 6
Soil and Water Conservation Districts
Subdistricts 1, 3, and 5
Circuit Court Judges
Groups 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 21, 26, 27, 28, and 30
County Court Judges
Groups 1, 6, 13, 14, and 16
For more information on upcoming elections, please visit www.duvalelections.gov