House Speaker Pro Tempore Wyman Duggan announced he will run for mayor of Jacksonville against incumbent Donna Deegan.
"My name is Wyman Duggan and I'm running for Mayor of Jacksonville," Duggan wrote on social media. "I love this city. It's my home. I want every family in Jacksonville to have a real shot at building a life here. But right now, too many of them are getting squeezed."
Rep. Duggan (R-Jacksonville) has served in the House since 2018, including as Speaker Pro Tempore since 2024. Duggan was also essentially in charge as House Speaker after the resignation of Danny Perez, despite not being sworn in or voted on to the role.
The Republican Party of Duval County also announced Rep. Duggan's run in a statement shared on social media.
"Speaker Duggan served in the United States Marines Corps Reserve, practices law in Jacksonville and has represented our community in the Florida House of Representatives for eight years," the Duval GOP wrote.
Deegan has been mayor since 2023 after defeating Republican Daniel Davis in Jacksonville's runoff election. Notably, she is the first woman to serve as Jacksonville's mayor.
"We wish Speaker Duggan and all the Republican candidates the best as the qualifying period approaches, and we look forward to continuing our work to make Donna Deegan a one-term mayor," the Duval GOP added.
Rep. Duggan's announcement was quickly supported by other members of the Florida House, including Rep. Dean Black (R-Jacksonville)
"I’m all in for Wyman Duggan. Jacksonville needs a mayor who respects taxpayers, reins in reckless spending and brings common sense back to City Hall," Black wrote. "I served alongside Wyman in the Florida Legislature and I’ve seen firsthand that he has what it takes to get the job done."
Rep. Toby Overdorf (R-Palm City) also praised the run, commenting, "The City would be blessed to have you as their mayor."
However, the announcement was evidently criticized by the Duval County Democratic Party.
"Jacksonville deserves a leader who stands up for our community every day, not someone whose record consistently favors Tallahassee over local families," Duval County Democratic Party Chair Millie Leeds said in a statement. "When voters look beyond the campaign rhetoric and examine Wyman Duggan's legislative record, they'll see a pattern of supporting policies that weaken our local community’s ability to address pressing issues and jeopardize the investments that make Jacksonville a great place to live."
The primary election is March 9, 2027. If no candidate receives over 50% of the vote, the top two candidates will advance to the general election on May 18, 2027.
