Mayoral losses deal blow to GOP in conservative strongholds
Republicans suffered surprising losses Tuesday in mayoral races in Jacksonville, Fla., and Colorado Springs, dealing a blow to the GOP in two longtime conservative strongholds and highlighting the limits of waging hyperpartisan campaign battles in local races.
In Jacksonville, Florida’s most populous city, Democrat Donna Deegan upset Republican Daniel Davis by about 4 percentage points to win the mayor’s race. Deegan’s victory flips the mayoral seat of the largest city in the United States that was held by a Republican, in a state in which the Republican governor won reelection by a landslide less than six months ago.
And in Colorado Springs, political newcomer and business executive Yemi Mobolade, an independent, defeated Republican Wayne Williams by a decisive margin Tuesday night, surprising many in the conservative-leaning city that President Donald Trump won handily in 2020.
The wins offered a glimmer of hope for Democrats, especially in Florida, where less than six months ago Republicans swept statewide offices and called into question whether it could still be considered a swing state. [Continue reading…]