An off-year set of elections Tuesday produced a bevy of firsts, particularly for Democrats and Black candidates.
Philadelphia is poised to elect its first woman of color as mayor, while Colorado Springs did elect its first Black male as mayor.
Jacksonville, Florida, elected its first Democratic mayor in decades, defeating a candidate backed by Republican governor and likely 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis. The Jacksonville result also demonstrated the vulnerability of Republicans in the Donald Trump era, analysts said.
“Democrats just flipped the biggest city Republicans controlled,” a tweet from former Florida congressman and MSNBC host Joe Scarborough‘s account said. “And they did it in the heart of DeSantis Country. Trump’s Republicans keep losing in places like Jacksonville, Wisconsin, and Kansas. How long will they keep driving their car off the cliff?”
Republicans also had some successes Tuesday. In Kentucky, GOP primary voters nominated Attorney General Daniel Cameron for governor, the first Black Republican to win such a race in state history.
A brief rundown of Tuesday’s results:
Mayor of Philadelphia
Cherelle Parker, a former state representative and Philadelphia City Council member, won the Democratic mayoral primary while campaigning on a pledge to hire more police officers to combat crime.
These ‘off-year’ elections present Dems, GOP with opportunities and lessons ahead of 2024
Winning the Democratic nomination is tantamount to election in Philadelphia, where the party enjoys at least a 7-to-1 advantage over Republicans. In the general election, Parker faces GOP candidate David Oh, a former City Council member.
“I’m looking forward to November and bringing our city together as its 100th mayor,” Parker said after winning the Democratic nomination.
Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, a key battleground in the 2024 presidential election, Democrats are projected to hold onto the Pennsylvania state House.
Black Republican nominated for Kentucky governor
In Kentucky, which also held a set of primaries Tuesday, Republicans boosted a rising party star for governor.
Cameron, the first Black Republican to be nominated for governor in Kentucky, will take on Democratic incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear in November, one of the year’s most-watched races.
GOP members both in Kentucky and across the country have promoted Cameron’s career; he had a prominent speaking slot at the 2020 Republican convention.
“To anyone who looks like me, know that you can achieve anything,” Cameron said to supporters after winning the primary. “Know that in this country and in Kentucky, all that matters are your values.”
Upset in Jacksonville
One of the night’s biggest upsets came in North Florida, where Donna Deegan became a rare Democratic winner in the mayor’s race. The Republicans have controlled that office for all but four of the past 30 years.
Deegan defeated Republican Daniel Davis, who had the support of Florida governor and probable 2024 Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis.
A former television anchor, a nonprofit executive, and a breast cancer survivor, Deegan had been attacked during the campaign for participating in Black Lives Matter protests. After winning the mayor’s race, she called it a triumph of love.
“We have a new day in Jacksonville,” she said, “because people chose unity over division – creating a broad coalition of people across the political spectrum that want a unified city.”
National Republicans took note of the loss in Jacksonville by a DeSantis-backed candidate.
Trump, who will likely face a primary challenge by the Florida governor, said on his Truth Social platform that a DeSantis-supported candidate also lost in the Kentucky gubernatorial primary. “Ron’s magic is GONE!” Trump said.
Colorado Springs
There was more bad news for Republicans in Colorado, where they lost control of the mayor’s office in Colorado Springs.
Yemi Mobolade, a Nigerian immigrant and businessman who does not belong to a political party and was making this his first political race, won a runoff mayoral election over political veteran Wayne Williams. Colorado Springs conducts nonpartisan political races, but Republican candidates have dominated them in recent decades.
“I’m speechless,” Mobolade told supporters. “This is incredible. Wow. Wow.”
