JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Republican LeAnna Cumber announced Monday she’s running in 2023 to replace term-limited Lenny Curry for Mayor of Jacksonville. Cumber is the fifth candidate and second Republican to enter the race.
Currently in the race for mayor are Donna Deegan, a Democrat and former local TV news anchor who’s also a breast cancer research advocate, and Republican councilman Al Ferraro. Also running are non-party affiliated candidates Omega Allen and Darcy G. Richardson.
LeAnna Cumber sat down with News4Jax anchor and This Week in Jacksonville host, Kent Justice, Monday and explained why she is running for mayor. “Cities all over the country have done it, really revitalized themselves over the last decade,” Cumber said. “And we need to do that. And so I really just see so much optimism and so much excitement through the city.”
Cumber also told Kent Justice, that she’s against raising taxes as a solution for some of the city’s biggest problems.
“The only way that we can become a better place, the only way that people can educate their children the way they wanted, the only way that your commute times get better, the only way that we have a vibrant downtown is not to continue to tax you,” Cumber said. “And so there are so many different ways that we can address those issues. And that’s what we need to focus on rather than just saying, ‘Well, if we are going to do it, we need to tax you again’, Sorry, that’s just not the answer.”
Cumber’s “JAX First” political committee has raised more than $2 million. She joined the Jacksonville City Council winning District 5 in 2019.
To see her one-on-one interview with Kent Justice, tune into This Week in Jacksonville, Sunday at 9 a.m., on Channel 4.