Supporters cheer Deegan as first female mayor of Jacksonville

Donna Deegan won the election and will be the first female mayor of Jacksonville.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A historic win by the first woman to be elected mayor of Jacksonville was celebrated by hundreds of Donna Deegan supporters in downtown Jacksonville.

First Coast News caught up with some of those supporters who made a point to be with Deegan at her victory party at Estrella Cocina Tuesday night.

As Deegan took the stage to deliver her victory speech, her supporters cheered loudly.

“Being here from Jacksonville, I’ve seen her story since I was a little girl,” said Carla Jones. “I’ve seen her keep fighting and keep pushing and I feel like she’s always been an inspiration.”

The first woman to be elected mayor of Jacksonville created a celebration that brought young and old to the dance floor.

“It means everything,” said Elizabeth Neville, “I’ve known her so long, I trust her, she loves Jacksonville and I know it’s all going to be great, I’m so happy.”

And while the election night was about a celebration about a victory that happened, supporters in the crowd hope the good times are yet to come.

“We all need to support her, we need to all come together as a city,” said Linda Weiner. “Just like we root for the Jaguars, we need to root for Donna Deegan to be successful and everybody do their part to make our city a better place to live.”

Deegan and her supporters celebrated well into the night, but the real work will begin on July 1 when she is sworn into office as Jacksonville mayor.