JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Donna Deegan, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and other Democrats held a rally Thursday to urge voters to head to the polls early.
Deegan, who in a recent poll was trailing U.S. Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla. in the 4th Congressional District race, made a late pitch to voters on the fourth day of early voting in Florida.
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“It was clear after the debate the other night, that there are very big differences between myself and my opponent,” Deegan told News4Jax. “I think the fact that I have a plan for people with pre-existing conditions, he doesn’t. I think the fact that I understand we have systemic racism, he doesn’t believe in it. The fact that I believe in climate science, he doesn’t believe that is a thing. I think those three things alone before you add in the cuts to Social Security and Medicare and all of that are really disqualifying for him.”
Deegan also addressed the recent surge of violence across the city after a 16-year-old and four others were injured Wednesday night in three separate shootings.
“We have got to solve our violence problem, there’s no question about it,” Deegan said. “I think we really got to get back to some really good community policing. I think we’ve got to solve some of the inequities in our community, I think we do have to face some structural racism that we have in this city and in this country.”
Deegan said she’s been encouraged by the early voting turnout in Duval County. As of Thursday afternoon, there have been nearly 90,000 registered Democrats in Duval County who have voted either by mail or at early voting sites. Republicans, by contrast, have voted just under 63,000 times.
“I think it’s been fantastic,” Deegan said. “I’ve been all over a wave of signs and a bunch of the early voting locations and people have really been turning out strong, but I really want people to understand that this is not one they can sit out.”
Deegan is looking to close a gap against Rutherford, an incumbent and former Jacksonville Sheriff. According to a UNF poll from earlier this month, 57% of registered voters asked indicated they would vote for Rutherford, and 38% said they would vote for Deegan.
Deegan and Fried were joined by State Rep. Tracie Davis, Duval DEC Chair Daniel Henry and seven other local Democratic candidates at the drive-in rally.
The final day to vote is election day on Nov. 3.
News4Jax reached out to the Rutherford campaign but they did not immediately respond to a request for comment.