DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. — We’re less than 24 hours away from Election Day and early voting numbers suggest it could be a long Tuesday night, with some real opportunities for Democrats to win some competitive local races in Duval County.
“If there’s any election where their vote matters, this is the one,” Duval Democratic Party Chair Millie Leeds said.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
As it stands, Democrats have cast nearly 27,000 more votes than Republicans in Duval County.
Leeds noted it’s the largest lead local Democrats have ever seen heading into Election Day.
She said she believes having Jacksonville’s Angie Nixon at the top of the Democratic ticket in the U.S. Senate race has helped boost local enthusiasm.
“The people of Jacksonville know Angie and so I’m not surprised that we’re seeing such a large turnout,” Leeds said.
Duval GOP Chairman Charles Barr is banking on Republican Election Day turnout to change the math.
“This is the most important vote we’ll have in quite a while,” Barr said.
Barr noted Democrats also held a sizable lead going into the August Primary.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
“We came way further on Election Day,” Barr said. ”I think we look good for tomorrow.”
Perhaps the most competitive race on the local ballot is the District 2 School Board race.
Republican-backed Donovan Bradley came out about ten points ahead of the Democratic-backed candidate Donna Westrich in the Primary.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
“The Republicans out there are strong. He’s got a great turnout so far and I think that we’re gonna carry that,” Barr said.
But now as the two face off head-to-head, Leeds is optimistic Westrich can pull out a victory, especially with a high share of independent voters in the district.
“I think she has just as great of a chance as anyone else,” Leeds said.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
