Voters in Duval County chose a new member of the Jacksonville City Council in Tuesday’s special election.

Democrat Moné Holder defeated Republican Deborah Wesley and Libertarian Addison “Liberty” Patrick for the Jacksonville City Council At-Large Group 1 seat. Her victory will make her the only Democrat holding an At-Large seat on the Republican-dominated council.

Holder says her priorities for the city include lowering the cost of living, protecting housing affordability and expanding workforce development.

“Fighting for lowering the cost of living here is something that I plan to do. That’s everything from rent, groceries, utilities, making sure that families can afford to stay here and thrive, and also expanding workforce development across the city,” Holder said.

Holder will also have to work with Mayor Donna Deegan’s administration as she begins her new role.

We asked Holder how she plans to work with the mayor and whether there are any policies or decisions from the administration she disagrees with.

“I’m definitely independent in my thinking and definitely putting people of Jacksonville first. Thus far, the way the mayor has run her administration has been in line with my values, but if and when there’s a time that there’s not, I’ll definitely continue to be a check and balance not only just for the administration, but my colleagues on a council as well,” said Holder.

We also asked Holder about a potential trade-off involving the NAVI transportation program.

Critics have questioned the program’s cost and ridership, while some have called for those funds to instead be used for streets and sidewalks in underserved neighborhoods.

Holder did not give a direct yes-or-no answer, saying she plans to research the issue.

“Every investment that we make in the city in our budget must have a return on it. There must be a quality return on investment. One thing that I look forward to doing is analyzing every investment and asking the question of whether or not it’s working and, from there, moving forward to figure out how to make it work or figure out which investments may be better off for the people of Jacksonville,” said Holder

Holder is expected to take office August 31, 2026.