by David Chapman
Staff Writer
Alvin Brown will be the next mayor of Jacksonville.
He and Mayor John Peyton will meet with media at City Hall at 11 a.m. today for a news conference. Brown’s wife and sons will also attend.
Following Tuesday’s too-close-to-call general election that left Brown ahead of Republican Mike Hogan by 603 votes, a canvassing board Wednesday examined almost 2,000 absentee and provisional ballots that widened Brown’s margin to 1,648 and secured his historic victory.
Brown, 48, becomes the first African-American mayor in Jacksonville’s history and the first Democrat elected to the position since Ed Austin was elected in 1991. Austin switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican during his term.
Brown released a statement just before 8 p.m. Wednesday confirming that he received a call from Hogan conceding the race. In the statement, he said he thanked Hogan for his service to the city while also expressing hope the two would have the opportunity to work together in the coming years.
“I am deeply honored by the trust that the people of Jacksonville have placed in me,” said Brown. “I am excited about the opportunity that we have to take Jacksonville to the next level, and I will work with people from every corner of this community to move Jacksonville forward. That will be my most critical priority as mayor.”
Hogan released a statement at 7 p.m. congratulating Brown and thanking his supporters. In the statement, he called for those supporters and the rest of the city to rally around Brown to help in “getting City Hall’s fiscal house in order and putting Jacksonville back to work.”
Peyton also issued a statement after 8 p.m. congratulating Brown on the victory and commending Hogan for his service.
“I look forward to assisting Alvin and his team through the transition and wish him well through the course of his term,” said Peyton in his statement.
With Tuesday’s election-night results too close to confirm a winner and the possibility of a recount at hand, Brown told supporters during his election party at the Hyatt
Downtown he wanted to ensure every vote is counted.
Beginning at 9 a.m. Wednesday and crowded with supporters and legal staff of both candidates, Supervisor of Elections staff and the Canvassing Board, consisting of Holland, County Judge Brent Shore and City Council Vice President Stephen Joost, began counting and checking more than 1,000 absentee and 642 provisional ballots.
That included several instances of verifying signatures, ensuring that some people had not voted twice or voted in the wrong precinct and proper voter registration and eligibility.
An afternoon update that included 773 accepted provisional ballots trimmed Brown’s lead from the initial 603 to 585. Absentee ballots pushed Brown further in the lead and widened the margin that would not require an electronic recount, triggered when the final tally is less than one-half of 1 percent. A hand recount would have been required if the margin was between one-quarter of 1 percent.
The process also confirmed the winner for City Council At-Large Group 1.
Democrat Kimberly Daniels won her race over Republican David Taylor, expanding her Tuesday lead of 158 votes to more than 1,000, also outside the need for a mandatory recount.
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