State Representative Wyman Duggan signed paperwork to run for mayor of Jacksonville, becoming the presumptive Republican frontrunner in a field of five GOP candidates trying to unseat Democratic Mayor Donna Deegan in 2027. Duggan said every decision he makes will start from whether it makes life better for Jacksonville residents, framing his launch around complaints that city services, permits and basic government functions aren't keeping pace with resident needs.
Florida Politics first reported Duggan's entry. The Jacksonville Daily Record later reported on his launch and criticism of city spending and City Hall operations.
Garbage Fees and Utility Costs Take Center Stage
Among Duggan's specific targets is the city's garbage fee, which climbed from $151.80 in fiscal year 2025 to $384 in fiscal year 2027, per the Daily Record. He said he would work to reduce that fee and would also consider removing JEA's contributions to the city, redirecting that funding to lower utility costs for ratepayers instead.
On development, Duggan said he supports downtown growth but argued downtown should not come first every time, while also backing property tax rebates for developers. He added that the city should not fund luxury apartment and condo development, according to the Daily Record's account of his launch remarks.
JTA's Skyway and NAVI Shuttle in the Crosshairs
Duggan's launch also zeroed in on the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, where he criticized planned suspensions of the elevated Skyway service and the autonomous NAVI shuttle as wasteful spending under Deegan's watch, as reported by First Coast News. JTA announced operational pauses for both systems in late 2026 amid budget and oversight reviews. Duggan said Jacksonville's independent authorities should work together for the whole city rather than operate in isolation.
The Deegan administration has pushed back on tying JTA's troubles directly to her office, noting that JTA is a regional state authority where the Florida governor appoints a majority of the board rather than a purely municipal department, according to News4JAX. That jurisdictional distinction has become a recurring point of friction as Duggan makes JTA's operations a central focus of his campaign.
Duggan's Statehouse Background
Duggan's career includes service in the Florida House.
Duggan is a shareholder and governing board member at Rogers Towers, a firm that specializes in land use, private property rights and economic development. He graduated from the University of the South in 1991, earned a law degree from William & Mary in 1994, and served as a commissioned Marine Corps officer, including time in the Marine Corps Reserve between 1993 and 1995, per Rogers Towers' own biography.
During the 2026 legislative session, Duggan authored and passed House Bill 4045, which amended Jacksonville's charter to direct the Jacksonville Aviation Authority to expand Cecil Airport as a spaceport and establish an economic development committee for international flights. The measure passed the Florida House without objection, according to Florida Politics.
Democrats Question Duggan's Tallahassee Record
The Duval County Democratic Party has criticized Duggan's legislative record, saying he supported shifting decision-making authority from local governments to Tallahassee, removing local input on zoning and land use decisions, advancing unfunded state mandates on municipalities, and backing policies that could reduce funding for local services. Millie Leeds, chair of the Duval County Democratic Party, said Jacksonville needs a leader who stands up for the community rather than favoring Tallahassee.
In August, two of Duggan's Rogers Towers law partners, Managing Director Clay Meux and Chair Emeritus Fred Franklin, co-hosted a campaign fundraiser for Deegan, Florida Politics reported.
Money and Polling Favor the Incumbent, For Now
Duggan rebranded his political committee from Citizens for Building Florida's Future to the Better Jacksonville Committee on September 11 ahead of his official launch, and it holds nearly $1.35 million on hand. Deegan's committee, Duval for All, holds more than $2.2 million, plus another $175,000 in her campaign account, per the same Florida Politics report.
An early St. Pete Polls survey released by Florida Politics on August 20 gave Deegan a lead over Duggan, 53% to 33%, among 618 likely Jacksonville voters surveyed on August 19 through a mix of automated calls and text messages. The poll carried a margin of error of about 4% at a 95% confidence level. Deegan's campaign did not respond to a request for comment, according to the Daily Record.
Duggan is one of five Republicans seeking the office, joined by Ronald Armstrong Jr., Keith Bernard Brown Jr., Harry Daniel Long III and Fitzgerald Desprez, with Republicans hoping to consolidate behind a single candidate against Deegan. Hoodline has previously reported that Jacksonville City Council President flew a billionaire's jet while serving on the host committee for Deegan's 2027 re-election campaign.
The Race Ahead
Deegan is seeking re-election in 2027, with Duggan seeking to unseat her.
In an August 2026 special election, Democrat Moné Holder won an at-large City Council seat outright without a runoff. The 2027 mayoral election is scheduled for March 9.
