JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Duval GOP is closing in on the local Democratic Party when it comes to voter registrations, with the gap now below 10,000 voters for the first time.
Still, local Democrats see some silver linings in the data.
Newly elected Duval GOP Chair Charles Barr celebrated the release of the new voter data.
He argued it shows local registration efforts are paying off.
“We’ve had people out, boots on the ground and you know we’ve just been shaking the bushes to get voter registrations,” said Barr.
The latest stats mark a milestone in what has been a multi-year push to close the registration gap.
As recently as 2018, that gap was closer to 40,000.
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But Duval Democratic Party Chair Daniel Henry still sees the battleground county as a Democratic stronghold.
He noted Democrats still hold the lead, despite other major battleground counties like Miami-Dade and Hillsborough flipping to Republicans in recent years.
“And in reality, it’s about a 90-vote difference compared to where we were 30 days ago. So, I’m just gonna chalk this up to smoke and mirrors,” said Henry.
And he attributed the holdout to the popularity and success of local Democratic leaders, including Mayor Donna Deegan, whose approval ratings have held over 60 percent.
“I think it speaks to the strong message that we’re giving here locally,” said Henry.
But Barr noted that as those other counties have flipped, the state party has set its sights on Duval.
“I’m excited to turn this county Red. People said it can’t be done, but you know, unless you get out and get boots on the ground and work hard and have some great volunteers like I have you won’t do it, but I know that we can do it,” said Barr.
Statewide, Republicans outnumber Democrats by 1.3 million.
By the 2027 election, Barr said it’s his hope to cut the Republican disadvantage here in Duval down to fewer than 5,000.
Regardless of party or county, you can register to vote online here.
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