JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Former President Donald Trump has weighed in on the Jacksonville mayoral race, calling it a "BIG LOSS for the Republican Party."
Democrat Donna Deegan became the first female mayor of Jacksonville Tuesday night, beating DeSantis-backed Republican Daniel Davis.
In a post Wednesday morning, Trump posted his reaction to Truth Social, the social media platform created by his media company. He said Davis would have won if his campaign had asked for his endorsement, writing:
"Wow! In a big upset, the DeSantimonious backed Republican candidate for Mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, LOST. This is a shocker. If they would have asked me to Endorse, he would have won, easily. Too proud to do so. Fools! This is a BIG LOSS for the Republican Party. Remember, "Rob" only won because of me!!!"
It was a disappointing night for DeSantis: In the primary for Kentucky governor Wednesday night, the candidate he endorsed, Republican Kelly Craft, also lost.
In 2022, Trump endorsed more than 250 candidates with an 82% success rate. However, the majority of his endorsements were favorites to win.
Though Deegan was the front-runner in multiple polls before the election, the race has been referred to as an "upset" because of Jacksonville's history of electing Republicans. She is just the second Democrat to become mayor of the River City since 1993.
