The claim is that she was ceded a house in a different at-large group during her divorce in 2024, but when she filed, she did so as a resident in an apartment complex in Group 1. Despite saying she lives in the apartment, records show a homestead exemption for the house in question along with more utility usage there than at the apartment.<\/p>\n
A case making a similar argument<\/a> has already been dismissed this cycle<\/a>.<\/p>\n In addressing the matter, the Judge said the residency requirement did not apply to Special Elections. In an ironic twist, a case regarding residency involving the incumbent Terrance Freeman<\/a>, who was appointed to a district seat in 2018 before getting elected at-large the next year, was thrown out because the residency question was said not to apply to appointments.<\/p>\n In the current complaint, Eddy\u2019s attorney, Neil Henrichsen, a former Chair of the Duval Democrats, invoked the successful residency challenge<\/a> against\u00a0Jay Jabour<\/a>, who was elected to serve at-large from a group including his condo at the beach, even though he and his family were there roughly 40% of the time.<\/p>\n Holland tells Florida Politics that the Jabour precedent is a \u201cdifferent approach\u201d from the previous complaint, given the \u201cpremise is based on not complying with charter requirements of residency.\u201d<\/p>\n Holland can\u2019t predict the outcome, but hopes it moves quickly, given his ministerial function of providing information to voters.<\/p>\n Judge Marianne Aho set an evidentiary hearing for Aug. 14 at noon, and a status hearing is expected early next week. Plaintiffs want to subpoena supporting documents in time for that.<\/p>\n Attempts to serve Wesley ahead of Friday\u2019s hearing were unsuccessful, the plaintiffs said. They will continue to try to serve her. Via a spokesperson, Wesley says she has yet to receive communication from them.<\/p>\n In a statement, the Wesley campaign said the \u201clawsuit is nothing more than baseless political lawfare, filed just days before the election in a transparent attempt to mislead voters and attack Commander Deborah Wesley, who spent 35 years at the Jacksonville Sheriff\u2019s Office faithfully upholding the law.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThese desperate claims have already been rejected by the courts twice and dismissed with prejudice, yet they are being recycled once again by a paid political activist and Democratic campaign operative. This is the same tired playbook of the radical left: launching baseless political attacks against Republican candidates, particularly when that candidate happens to be a person of color,\u201d the campaign added.<\/p>\n \u201cJacksonville voters deserve better than these last-minute political stunts designed to influence an election through the courtroom instead of the ballot box, and Commander Deborah Wesley remains focused on earning the trust of voters and bringing experienced, common-sense leadership to the City Council.\u201d<\/p>\n Money has flowed into this Special Election as Democrats look to match control of the Mayor\u2019s Office with a stronger position legislatively.<\/p>\n Democrat\u00a0Mon\u00e9 Holder\u2019s<\/a> committee, Jacksonville Together<\/a>, has received $300,000 in loans from trial lawyer Steve Pajcic, and she has raised more than $55,000 in hard money. She works for the activist group Florida Rising.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Razack728x90-May-15-2023-at-17.01.44-2.png\")
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