She recently was in St. Petersburg<\/a> auditioning her pitch around a \u201cspanking (sic) new vision, where all families have stability, all workers have dignity, and all children have the opportunity to actually reach the American dream that we have been taught about in schools.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut we have to make sure that we get involved, right? And we have to make sure that we elect people who care more about working families than they care about padding their pockets. As I\u2019ve been traveling the state, talking to people and listening to folks, we need fighters who are willing to be on the front lines. And that\u2019s why I\u2019m excited to let you know that I am really strongly considering running for the United States Senate.\u201d<\/p>\n If this sounds familiar, it should.<\/p>\n Nixon has been considering a Senate run for months.<\/p>\n As far back as July, Nixon asked one current state Senator for an endorsement. And a Democratic consultant said then that Nixon was \u201cgoing to be announcing for Senate extremely soon,\u201d which \u201cput a lot of pressure on former and current contenders on whether they would stay in the race or not.\u201d<\/p>\n The Smiths posed the musical question \u201cHow soon is now?\u201d They probably couldn\u2019t have anticipated that five months after \u201cextremely soon,\u201d Nixon would still be on the same listening tour she promoted in September, as if in a \u201cfailure to launch\u201d contest against slow-developing gubernatorial candidate, current LG Jay Collins.<\/p>\n And indeed, her tour brings her close to home this week, with a fundraiser Thursday at 6 p.m. at Mocama Fernandina with a suggested minimum donation of $50.<\/p>\n Expect that her message won\u2019t deviate from what she\u2019s been saying in recent months and that she will continue to maintain she\u2019s \u201cthe biggest pain in Ron DeSantis\u2019 ass\u201d in the Legislature.<\/p>\n Ultimately, she\u2019ll have to win the Primary if she runs for Senate. And if that\u2019s the case, she and Suzanne Jenkins and other candidates will have to start throwing elbows at each other ahead of a challenge against one of the best statewide candidates in the game right now, incumbent Republican Ashley Moody, who won twice statewide in her races for Attorney General and who has the advantage going into her first election for Senate.<\/p>\n Tweet, tweet <\/p>\n You\u2019ve got mail<\/p>\n Months after first teasing a run for Governor, Lt. Gov. Collins<\/a> hasn\u2019t launched a campaign.<\/p>\n Despite his indecision, advertising continues to promote him as if he has already made it official.<\/p>\n Mail from the Florida Fighter<\/a> group, including to Jacksonville Republicans, is circulating, promoting the former state Senator from Tampa as a \u201cwounded warrior, proven conservative\u201d who has \u201cdelivered conservative wins\u201d and is \u201cstanding with\u201d Gov. Ron DeSantis<\/a>.<\/p>\n The group\u2019s documented television buys are approaching $3 million<\/a> as of last check, and that\u2019s without knowing who or what is buying the ads. That question will never be answered, given that the political committee is classified as a \u201csocial welfare\u201d organization.<\/p>\n The mail urges recipients to call Collins and \u201cthank\u201d him. The call is answered by an automated voice: \u201cThe Lieutenant Governor is not answering. This mailbox is full.\u201d<\/p>\n Collins has praised the third-party effort on his behalf.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very grateful for whatever group that was that put those out there. \u2026 We are in this short, final part of wrapping up our decision, and I\u2019m very grateful for that group. It\u2019s very encouraging to see people believe in our message and our approach,\u201d he said at a news conference last month.<\/p>\n Collins especially appreciates the air cover since he sees himself as an alternative to \u201cpoliticians who pat themselves on the back and put their ego first,\u201d a seeming allusion to U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds<\/a>, who had more than $31 million banked as of the end of September.<\/p>\n Collins has struggled in public polls<\/a> of the still-nascent Republican field to succeed DeSantis.<\/p>\n Collins is at 1% in a poll from Victory Insights<\/a> and at 4% in a survey from St. Pete Polls<\/a>.<\/p>\n Citizens\u2019 chance<\/p>\n Jacksonville\u2019s branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking for people like you for its Citizens Academy next year.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you would like to nominate a community, business, academic, or religious leader or nominate yourself for the 2026 Citizens Academy, please visit the FBI Jacksonville Community Outreach<\/a> page and complete the online nomination form<\/a> for each nominee,\u201d the FBI implores.<\/p>\n The deadline to apply is Jan. 15.<\/p>\n \u201cNominations of business, community, academic and religious leaders are essential to developing an ambassador group to represent the FBI in the communities we serve and live in. We ask that you think strategically about whom you nominate for the Citizens Academy and how their participation would benefit the FBI Academy\u2019s mission and the greater community, ranging from their participation in this program to their contribution to the Alumni Association and beyond. Candidates may be nominated by FBI employees, former Citizens Academy graduates, community leaders and may also self-nominate.\u201d<\/p>\n One less Board<\/p>\n Nassau County\u2019s government is about to become a bit more streamlined, as an appointed Board that has been dormant since 2002 may be eliminated.<\/p>\n Rep. Dean Black\u2019s legislation (HB 4017<\/a>) would terminate Nassau County Recreation & Water Conservation & Control Districts on the books since the 1960s, when the Legislature created them by a special act.<\/p>\n There is one such district in ordinance.<\/p>\n Though the Board hasn\u2019t done anything in 23 years, removing it from the books purportedly would reduce administrative costs and would transfer all assets and liabilities of the district to the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners, and protect taxpayers.<\/p>\n \u201cThe county has established a municipal service benefit unit, or MSBU, to address drainage issues subsequently. Therefore, the district is no longer functioning or necessary. In a word, it is now obsolete,\u201d Black said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe district does not own any land; the district does not have any assets. The district does not currently levy any taxes. It has been inactive since 2002. The repeal of this district would prevent a future Board of County Commissioners from levying millage rates for what is now a defunct and unnecessary district against the taxpayers of Nassau County.\u201d<\/p>\n The State Affairs Committee is the final Committee stop before the House floor.<\/p>\n Movin\u2019 on up<\/p>\n A Clay County judge (and friend of the newsletter) is celebrating a promotion at the end of the year.<\/p>\n Green Cove Springs\u2019 Kristina Mobley will move from her position as a county court judge for Clay County to a judge for the entire 4th Circuit, where she was a Judicial Staff Attorney before becoming a judge. Legislation passed this year expanded judgeships across the state, allowing Mobley to advance.<\/p>\n Mobley\u2019s husband, Joe, is also well known to our readers as the Managing Partner of The Florida Group, directing the firm\u2019s Jacksonville and Tallahassee practices.<\/p>\n Poll position<\/p>\n A new poll reveals what messaging could be used as Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan<\/a> prepares to run for four more years in office.<\/p>\n But the pollster purports to be far away from Duval.<\/p>\n JacksonvilleStudies.com<\/a> lists its address at a strip mall with a UPS store in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of northwest Washington, D.C., blocks from Malcolm X Park.<\/p>\n Its phone number doesn\u2019t accept inbound calls, and Deegan herself isn\u2019t talking about the survey. So, we don\u2019t know if her \u201cDuval for All<\/a>\u201d political committee<\/a> is paying for the effort, or if the money is coming from elsewhere.<\/p>\n No disclaimer language was on the text message soliciting responses or the poll itself. We called \u201cJohn,\u201d whose phone is in Astor, Florida, who sent out the text message. But he didn\u2019t answer, and we were routed to a \u201ccampaign voicemail.\u201d Our call hasn\u2019t been returned yet.<\/p>\n The poll tests Deegan head-to-head against various potential Republican candidates, including House Speaker Pro Tempore Wyman Duggan, Duval County Elections Supervisor Jerry Holland and Jacksonville City Council member Rory Diamond<\/a>.<\/p>\n None has formally declared a run, though we have seen polling conducted on Holland\u2019s behalf.<\/p>\n While it\u2019s unclear who will run against Deegan in 2027, it is clear that those candidates will have to counter various positive messages, including some that were auditioned in this phone poll.<\/p>\n People responding to the poll are asked if they think the Jacksonville Journey Forward initiative is keeping them safer and improving lives, as well as whether Deegan is keeping promises, making things easier for small businesses, supporting first responders, and using her \u201cnegotiating skills\u201d in completing negotiations with the NFL Jaguars for stadium improvements.<\/p>\n Additionally, they are asked whether they know Jacksonville has the lowest property taxes of any major city in the state, whether she has improved downtown, whether she has made progress on \u201caffordable housing\u201d and health insurance coverage, and whether she is \u201capproachable.\u201d<\/p>\n The poll does not ask about a hologram of Deegan at the Jacksonville International Airport, a much-criticized airport greeting device that critics say shows her ego and self-promotion, suggesting the surveyors don\u2019t believe this issue matters to voters despite Republican tub-thumping.<\/p>\n The apparently pro-Deegan poll comes after the Tyson Group\u2019s<\/a> survey earlier this year showed that Jacksonville voters would prefer a generic Republican to a generic Democrat in a ballot test stripped of meaningful markers such as name recognition and the power of incumbency.<\/p>\n No serious candidate has filed to run against Deegan, and she has not yet opened a campaign account.<\/p>\n But this poll shows that even this sleepy campaign cycle is about to stop hitting the snooze button and get going at last.<\/p>\n Reducing ride rates<\/p>\n The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA<\/a>) Board of Directors approved a fare modification pilot program that will begin Feb. 1.<\/p>\n The fare cuts for bus rides will be on a trial basis and will last six months initially. Fixed-route fares will drop from $1.75 to $1, and connection paratransit fares will drop from $2 to $1.<\/p>\n \u201cThis fare decrease pilot reflects our commitment to putting our community first,\u201d said Nat Ford, JTA CEO. \u201cBy lowering fares, we\u2019re removing barriers to mobility and making it easier for people across Jacksonville to access jobs, education, health care and opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n JTA officials also announced this month that the service will seek more public input on the operations of the organization with public meetings that will review new fleet vehicles, route enhancements, updates on current services and other elements of the service. There will be six public meetings held in January alone, with more details to be announced by JTA officials.<\/p>\n Buyers doing better<\/p>\n Single-family home sales and prices declined notably in November, according to the latest report from the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors (NEFAR<\/a>).<\/p>\n The six-county First Coast region saw a definite drop in housing sales last month. The NEFAR report<\/a> showed not only a decline in home sales compared with October, but also a year-over-year decline.<\/p>\n There were 1,374 closed single-family houses sold across the First Coast region in November. That\u2019s down by 6.9% from the 1,476 homes sold in November 2024. It\u2019s also a steep 20.4% drop from the 1,726 homes sold in Northeast Florida in October 2025.<\/p>\n The housing market on the First Coast is leaning toward buyers in another way: home prices. The median sales price in the region for November was $375,000. That\u2019s a 4.1% decline from November 2024, when the median price tag for a home was $390,992. The figure also fell from October\u2019s price, dropping 2.1% from $380,020.<\/p>\n Active inventory of homes for sale in North Florida, which had been climbing for much of the past year, declined. There were 7,286 homes for sale in the six-county market. That\u2019s down 3.9% from November 2024\u2019s figure of 7,585 and a 4.4% drop from October\u2019s 7,623.<\/p>\n In the individual county breakout, Duval County, the most populous in the North Florida region, showed similar trends to the regional figures.<\/p>\n There were 709 homes sold in the county, which is home to Jacksonville. That\u2019s a 2.1% drop in the year-over-year comparison, when there were 724 homes sold. It\u2019s also a whopping 22.9% decline from October\u2019s figure of 919 homes sold. Duval\u2019s median sales price did pick up, though, coming in at $330,000. That\u2019s a 1.2% jump from a year ago and a 1.5% uptick from October.<\/p>\n St. Johns County, one of Florida\u2019s fastest-growing counties and the largest suburb to Jacksonville, saw sales and prices tumble last month. There were 354 closed home sales in November. That\u2019s a 10.6% drop from November 2024\u2019s 396 home sales and a 13.7% drop from October\u2019s figure of 410 homes sold. The median sales price in St. Johns was $508,993. That marks a 3% decline from a year ago and a 9.5% drop from October.<\/p>\n Manufacturers making money<\/p>\n First Coast manufacturers put the brakes on contraction for the first time in months in November, though the general industrial picture was flat.<\/p>\n The University of North Florida (UNF<\/a>) Jacksonville Economic Monitoring Survey (JEMS) shows several manufacturing sectors expanded in November, the most upbeat turnaround on the First Coast in several months. Seven of the 12 elements of the UNF survey showed that the Purchasing Managers\u2019 Index (PMI) expanded last month. That\u2019s a significant change from October<\/a>, when only two sectors showed expansion.<\/p>\n \u201cJacksonville\u2019s headline PMI of 50 in November indicates that local manufacturing activity was essentially flat. This stands in contrast to the national PMI of 48.2, which shows that U.S. manufacturing continued to contract at a faster pace,\u201d said Albert Loh, Interim Dean of the UNF Coggin College of Business<\/a>, who oversees the JEMS survey.<\/p>\n \u201cStill, a flat PMI is relatively positive when compared with deeper national declines and highlights Jacksonville\u2019s resilience heading toward 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n UNF researchers from the JEMS project contact First Coast manufacturing companies each month to assess their production and other factors.<\/p>\n One of the key factors showing expansion for North Florida manufacturers in October was output, which jumped from 49 in October to 53 in November.<\/p>\n \u201cA reading of 53 suggests a modest but meaningful pickup in business activity in the region. While not signaling a boom, it reflects resilience and indicates that local firms are navigating cost pressures, supply chain adjustments, and mixed demand with cautious optimism,\u201d the JEMS report concluded.<\/p>\n New orders, another high-profile manufacturing indicator, also showed a substantial uptick, rising from 49 in October to 52 in November.<\/p>\n Playoff dreams<\/p>\n On Sunday, the Jaguars answered a big question. Yes, they are a playoff-caliber team.<\/p>\n The dismantling of a struggling New York Jets team, 48-20, was exactly what a good team should do. And the Jaguars have dominated bottom-feeders twice this season. The first performance came in Nashville against the Titans as part of the current five-game winning streak.<\/p>\n Quarterback Trevor Lawrence enjoyed his best game of the season, completing 20 of 32 passes for 330 yards and a career-high five touchdowns. He also ran for a score.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/FUNDRAISER-NIXON.jpg\")
<\/a>Angie Nixon weighs a Senate run during a statewide listening tour as Florida Democrats await decisions on the campaign.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/COLLINS-TWEET-640x519.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PMI_IIA_Static_600x400_V1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Jay-Collins-florida-fighter-scaled-e1765731672349-640x386.jpeg\")
<\/a>Jay Collins delays gubernatorial launch as third-party ads flood mailboxes and polls show limited support.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/FBI-Jacksonville-sign-scaled-1-640x353.jpg\")
<\/a>FBI Jacksonville seeks community leaders for 2026 Citizens Academy, applications due Jan. 15 next year.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Baptist_Wolfson-ad.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Dean-Black-blue-640x360.jpg\")
<\/a>Dean Black backs bill to eliminate the dormant Nassau County district and transfer its responsibilities to County Commission oversight.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/mobley-GREEN-640x360.jpg\")
<\/a>Clay County Judge Kristina Mobley was promoted to the 4th Judicial Circuit following the legislative expansion of judgeships.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/kirwan-ad-640x426.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/deegan-BLUE-640x360.jpg\")
<\/a>Questionable poll tests Donna Deegan\u2019s messaging as Jacksonville\u2019s Mayor quietly prepares for a potential re-election campaign.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/JTA-BUSES-640x435.jpg\")
<\/a>JTA approves a six-month fare-cut pilot, lowering bus and paratransit fares and expanding public outreach meetings.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/for-sale-640x427.jpeg\")
<\/a>Northeast Florida home sales edge downward in November.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/manufacturing-florida-640x427.jpeg\")
<\/a>First Coast manufacturing stabilizes in November as UNF survey shows expansion despite flat overall activity.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/jaguars-jets-640x360.jpg\")
<\/a>Jaguars dominate Jets as Trevor Lawrence throws five touchdowns, strengthening Jacksonville\u2019s hopes of an AFC playoff push.<\/p>\n