Republican Dean Black is seeking re-election in Florida House District 15, which covers North and West Jacksonville. He will face Democrat Gary McManus.

Jacksonville Today reader Henry T. received a political mailer that caught his eye in late June. In Henry’s eyes, its message against District 3 Duval County School Board incumbent Cindy Pearson was “over-the-top scaremongering.” A second anti-Pearson card soon followed. Henry wrote to us, asking for info on who sent the mailers, which is listed on them as a political action committee called Educated Professionals for Jacksonville.

Florida and Georgia officials reacted to President Joe Biden’s announcement that he would not seek reelection in the upcoming presidential race in November.

As the Republican National Convention opened Monday with a new focus on security following the attempted assassination of former President Trump, Florida Republicans spoke on how the conversations have shifted at this year’s convention.

Local officials reacted to the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump at his rally held in Pennsylvania.

Former President Donald Trump is expected to speak at a news conference at 11 a.m. Friday at Trump Tower following Thursday’s guilty verdict in his New York criminal trial.

Outrage was voiced locally and nationally after President Joe Biden issued a proclamation for Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31. It’s an observance held on the same date every year since 2009.

Although the monument dedicated to the women of the Confederacy in Jacksonville’s Springfield Park was removed Wednesday, the battle over Confederate monuments in Florida is far from over.

Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said it was no secret the Confederate monument in Springfield Park was going to come down. She said on Wednesday she decided the days between Christmas and New Year’s Day was the time to make it happen and follow through on one of her campaign promises.

Jacksonville Councilman Nick Howland was critical of the city’s decision on Wednesday to remove a Confederate monument from a park in Springfield.

The 1st District Court of Appeal reversed a lower court’s ruling that the map that rewrote U.S. Rep. Al Lawson’s district was unconstitutional because it diminished Black voters’ ability to elect a candidate of their choice.

State Representative Dean Black has filed legislation that would punish lawmakers who vote to successfully take down Confederate monuments. If it is passed next year by the Florida legislature, it would have a big impact on what’s happening in Jacksonville with Confederate monuments.

Brian Levin with California State University’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism says there are consistent correlations related to a catalyst and rhetoric.

Among the laws Gov. Ron DeSantis has written into law, he signed SB 300, which is the Heartbeat Protection Act, prohibiting abortions once the unborn child has a detectible heartbeat, there are other bills and laws that are getting attention.

High rents, skyrocketing insurance premiums and inflation are hot topics with the Florida Legislature.

Here’s a look at some of the results Tuesday from notable races in the Florida Legislature..

Here’s a look at some of the results Tuesday from notable races in the Florida Legislature..

Republican Dean Black easily won the August primary in Florida House District 15, which covers North and West Jacksonville. The district extends north of the St. Johns River and outside Interstate 295 to the Nassau County line as well as west beyond Conga Drive/Pritchard Road/Chaffee Road. It continues to stretch west, following McGirts Creek then Old Middleburg Road south to Oakleaf Village Parkway, with the district covering Duval County west to the Baker County line and south to the Clay County line.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade is expected to be a major influence in the upcoming midterm elections.

The Jacksonville City Council on Tuesday voted 17-1 in favor of a redistricting plan that sets boundaries for its members.

Thousands of people flocked to the Prime Osborn Convention Center on Saturday for Day 2 of the American Freedom Tour in Jacksonville.

The controversial "anti-mob" bill, or HB 1, will reach the Senate floor. Those against the bill rallied in downtown Jacksonville on Saturday.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Bills in both Florida and Georgia that aim to make changes to voting regulations are working their way through the legislative system. You might recall in Florida on the day after the 2020 presidential election, Gov. Ron DeSantis praised how smoothly the election went in the state, saying other states could learn from Florida. But in February, Raffensperger said in a statement that 35 cases involving potential violations of election law were being sent from the State Election Board to the attorney general or local prosecutors. Florida Senate Democrats say this is purely a political move designed to keep Democrats from voting in 2022.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – This edition of “This Week in Jacksonville” features City Councilman Garrett Dennis on decriminalizing marijuana and the Lot J proposal, Duval County Republican Party Chairman Dean Black on the election results and 2022, and state Sen. Jennifer Bradley on her new role.

“Black voters in this part of the state are critical to winning statewide,” said Adrianne Shropshire, the executive director of BlackPAC. Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly 40,000 registered voters in Duval County, and more than half of the county's Democrats are African American. That was not the case when Hillary Clinton lost in Duval County to Trump in 2016. The area has also been a proving ground for Trump's attempt to peel off some Black voters — especially Black men — from Democrats. In Duval County, she won by a margin of fewer than 3,000 votes.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Republican leaders and candidates from Northeast Florida urged voters to visit early voting sites and cast their ballots as early voting began Monday. “You want to be first in line, and you can do that now because election day actually starts today.”Black said early voting sites are safe and hygienic. There were crowds waiting when early voting sites opened Monday across Jacksonville and across Florida. Hogan said masks are encouraged but not required at voting precincts, and he’s taken extra steps to ensure voting sites are thoroughly cleaned. The Republicans who spoke Monday encouraged in-person voting for Duval County residents on the first day of early voting but made no mention of mail-in voting.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Fresh off his Republican primary victory, U.S. Rep. John Rutherford met with Duval County GOP Chairman Dean Black and Mayor Lenny Curry on Thursday for a MAGA Meet-Up.' President Donald Trumps campaign, Trump Victory, is holding these events featuring party leaders throughout Florida the organization hopes will organize volunteers in local communities. The event was held at the Republican Party of Duval Countys headquarters in a shopping center on St. Johns Bluff Road. The Duval GOP said the rally was timed specifically ahead of Vice Presiden Joe Bidens speech Thursday evening on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, which Black called a terribly boring infomercial.Rutherford said the Democrats are talking about what good people Biden and (vice-presidential nominee) Kamala Harris are. They may be good people, but theyre bad policy, Rutherford said.

News4Jax asked Duval County GOP Chairman Dean Black about this, and he said Jacksonville will do whatever it has to do to make the convention work. News4Jax asked Black about funds and whether other spaces in the city have been considered. There are 43 days until the RNC and 100 or so days until the election. “We’re saying that we have to wait until we get closer, but how much closer do you want to get? Mullaney said campaigning will look different, and while it’s all about November, he said they’ll have to make some decisions for the RNC soon.

Jacksonville, Fla. – Vice President Mike Pence delivered remarks Saturday evening at an event at Epping Forest in San Jose for the Jacksonville host committee for the Republican National Convention. A spokesperson for the RNC host committee said the vice president was at the event to thank the committee for the work being done to plan the convention, especially on short notice. Duval GOP Chairman Dean Black said the vice president thanked the host committee for the hard work they’re doing, and for what they’re about to do. But the host committee has a handle on it and we’re going to make history right here in Jacksonville,” Black said. RELATED: Meet the Jacksonville Host Committee for the Republican National ConventionFlorida Gov.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. While the Democratic National Convention is on track to be almost entirely virtual due to COVID-19, a Duval County GOP spokesperson said Thursday there are no formal plans to scale back the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville. Dean Black, with the Duval GOP, balked at the idea of having the convention online. Were looking forward to this being an impactful event for Jacksonville businesses, and really, for all of the citizens here in Jacksonville, Black said. We are planning on having a convention.Black says anyone who attends the convention at the arena will have their temperature checked. As of Thursday, face masks were said to be optional and any decision to make them a requirement will be made closer to the convention date.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For the second time in a month, Jacksonville’s waterways were teeming with boats filled with supporters of President Donald Trump — this time to celebrate the president’s birthday. The rally, dubbed “Trump’s Birthday Boat Rally,” began on Sunday morning. The Republican Party of Duval County tweeted photos of the event saying more than 1,000 boats joined the boat rally. The rally comes days after Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced that Jacksonville will host part of the Republican National Convention. “Momentous and historic things are happening in Jacksonville and this is just one way to build up to a crescendo resulting in the Republican National Convention being held in Jacksonville," Black said.

“We are going to keep our convention of, the business of the convention in Charlotte. Jacksonville GOP Chairman Dean Black was every optimistic the convention with thousands of delegates, media and support staff might come here. Mayor Len Curry is a former chairperson of the state Republican Party, and the area is the home base of GOP Gov. The Party’s party could generate at least $100 million in revenues for the host city, perhaps more. The RNC said it expects about 20,000 people for the convention, and the head of Visit Jacksonville believes the city could handle the crowds.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A clearly emotional chairman of the Duval County Republican Party condemned the van attack on volunteers registering voters Saturday afternoon in a Walmart Superstore parking lot. Booking photo of Gregory Timm (Jacksonville Sheriff's office)“We don’t know if this is politically motivated,” Gayle said Saturday afternoon. (Watch full JSO briefing)At Monday’s news conference, Mayor Lenny Curry called the attack “attack outrageous and scary,” but deferred specific questions about the attack to police. The local Republican Party, Democratic Party, the state’s two U.S. Black said he would be discussing safety measures with the mayor and sheriff to see if any changes are needed to protect party volunteers.