Politics
Pensacola voters ignored the mayor’s endorsements for governor and county commission.
Three months after a last-minute Republican Party of Florida text attacking his opponents helped him clear the 50% mark and avoid a run-off, Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves learned how little his political endorsements count with city voters.
- On Nov. 3, Pensacola voters ignored both of the mayor’s picks. They backed Democrat David Jolly for governor over Reeves’ choice, Republican Byron Donalds, by 10 percentage points.
- Pensacola also handed NPA challenger Joe Vinson nine of the 13 city precincts in his race against Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger, whom Reeves had called “a strong partner for the City of Pensacola.”
Smear Campaigns Work
Before the general election, Quint Studer, Reeves’ former boss, wrote a column calling out political smear campaigns. They exist in Pensacola because they are effective. Consultants push them because they can help move the needle a few percentage points.
“Why, if most find these ads distasteful, do they continue? Sadly, they work.”
—Quint Studer
Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves believes in smear campaigns. By most measures, the young mayor has had a very successful first term, which gave him a long list of accomplishments to promote during his re-election campaign.
- However, Reeves wanted to win the non-partisan primary in August with a large enough margin to avoid a run-off in November. His internal polling reportedly had him at 48%, two percentage points short of the 50% he needed.
“Know Before You Vote”
The night before the primary, the Republican Party of Florida texted Pensacola voters attacking three Black candidates and a former city councilwoman running against him. Though the office is non-partisan, the text called out Jasmine Brown as a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation and Ann Hill, Alicia Trawick and Jermaine Williams as Democrats. The message: “Know Before You Vote.”
Mayor Reeves got the results he desired:
- D.C. Reeves: 7,504 (53.24%)
- Alicia Trawick: 2,991 (21.22%)
- Ann Hill: 1,450 (10.29%)
- Jermaine Williams: 1,131 (8.02%)
- Jasmine Brown: 574 (4.07%)
- Eric Shorter: 444 (3.15%)
Reeves lost the two most Democratic precincts:
- #14 Downtown Pensacola Library (Dem 69.4%, Black 64.8%)
- #98 Bethel AME Church (Dem 61%, Black 55.6%)
And he failed to win 50% in five others:
- #29 Mt. Olive Baptist Church (Dem 45.4%, GOP 32.2%)
- #41 Bayview Community Center (Dem 36.9%, GOP 39.8%)
- #56 Legion Field Resource Center (Dem 44.7%, GOP 30.68%)
- #90 St. John Divine Baptist Church (Dem 58%, GOP 23.4%)
- #106 Holy Cross Episcopal Church (Dem 34.8%, GOP 40.7%)
General Election Fallout
On Nov. 3, Mayor Reeves saw the city he represents ignore his endorsement of Republican Byron Donalds for Florida governor. He went on social media to tout his shaking Donalds’ hand at his watch party.
- The endorsement and video didn’t go over well with the majority of Pensacola voters, who overwhelmingly voted for Democrat David Jolly by 10 percentage points: Jolly 13,203 to Donalds 10,658.
Here is how the precincts listed above voted:
| Precinct | Jolly | Donalds |
|---|---|---|
| #14 Downtown Pensacola Library | 683 | 121 |
| #98 Bethel AME Church | 1,197 | 317 |
| #29 Mt. Olive Baptist Church | 536 | 221 |
| #41 Bayview Community Center | 601 | 376 |
| #56 Legion Field Resource Center | 941 | 441 |
| #90 St. John Divine Baptist Church | 581 | 182 |
| #106 Holy Cross Episcopal Church | 518 | 475 |
Hofberger Endorsement Falls Flat
Mayor Reeves also endorsed Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger, who trails NPA challenger Joe Vinson in the District 4 County Commission race.
“Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger has been a strong partner for the City of Pensacola. Her work on public safety, affordability and job creation has strengthened our community. I’m proud to stand with her.”
—Mayor D.C. Reeves
Pensacola voters again ignored Reeves’ endorsement. Vinson won nine of the 13 city precincts in the District 4 County Commission race. He beat Hofberger, 8,598 to 7,584.
| Precinct | Hofberger | Hofberger % | Vinson | Vinson % | Total Votes |
| 30 | 737 | 50.41% | 725 | 49.59% | 1,462 |
| 35 | 568 | 46.48% | 654 | 53.52% | 1,222 |
| 40 | 553 | 39.33% | 853 | 60.67% | 1,406 |
| 41 | 342 | 35.37% | 625 | 64.63% | 967 |
| 42 | 664 | 51.20% | 633 | 48.80% | 1,297 |
| 46 | 792 | 45.89% | 934 | 54.11% | 1,726 |
| 58 | 584 | 53.38% | 510 | 46.62% | 1,094 |
| 64 | 684 | 42.59% | 922 | 57.41% | 1,606 |
| 72 | 432 | 45.00% | 528 | 55.00% | 960 |
| 97 | 903 | 53.88% | 773 | 46.12% | 1,676 |
| 106 | 466 | 47.79% | 509 | 52.21% | 975 |
| 107 | 859 | 47.96% | 932 | 52.04% | 1,791 |
| TOTAL | 7,584 | 46.87% | 8,598 | 53.13% | 16,182 |
