Mike Hogan led the Duval County Supervisor of Elections race from the moment the first precinct results were released.
He wasn’t comfortable, though, until the last ones came through.
“Once you lose one, you’re never confident again,” Hogan said, referring to the 2011 mayor’s race where he was narrowly defeated by Alvin Brown.
Especially, he said, when the 2011 race turned badly for him in the final 20-30 minutes.
No worries like that Tuesday for Hogan, a Republican, who won just shy of 55 percent of the vote to defeat Tracie Davis, a Democrat who’s worked in the elections office since 2001.
Hogan’s win came in an election where 3,000 more Democrats than Republicans voted.
He said he’s always appealed to both parties, pointing out he ran for City Council as a conservative Democrat.
Hogan had considered running for supervisor in 1999 when Tommie Bell designed not to seek re-election. She asked Hogan to run to replace her.
He hesitated when it looked like some of his friends would get in the race. At the same point, former state Rep. Steve Wise called and said he’d like Hogan to run for his legislative seat. Hogan did and he won.
He submitted a resignation from his job as chair of the state’s Public Employees Relations Commission to run for the office. His resignation is effective June 30. His term as supervisor begins July 1.
Hogan called Tuesday’s win a “humbling experience.”
“This race, unlike others, people give to you because they love you. You can’t do anything for them,” said Hogan, who collected $95,186. “These are gifts of love.”
He said there would likely be some changes at the office, but nothing immediate.
Well, maybe one.
“I would have had all the results out at 7:05,” he joked.
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