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Wyman Duggan Wins State House District 15 Seat

Brendan Rivers
/
WJCT News
Wyman Duggan gives his primary night acceptance speech on Aug. 28.

Jacksonville native Wyman Duggan has won the race to become District 15’s next State Representative.

Duggan, the Republican candidate, came out on top with 51 percent of the vote. His Democratic opponent, Tracye Polson, got 49 percent with all precincts reporting.

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Wyman Duggan is a member of the law firm Rogers Towers. He’s part of their board of directors and a former chair of the firm’s governmental and regulatory law department.

Duggan represents individuals, businesses and nonprofits. His practice areas include land use, zoning, permitting, developments of regional impact, concurrency approvals, governmental relations, general legislative matters, special acts of Florida legislation (“J-Bills”), charter amendments and property tax valuation challenges.

He’s gotten state and local government development entitlements for several residential, commercial and industrial projects throughout Northeast Florida. Duggan has also secured more than $30 million in property tax assessment reductions for taxpayers, according to Rogers Towers.

Duggan was born in Jacksonville and has lived in House District 15 since 1995. He’s a fifth generation Floridian. Duggan earned his law degree from the William & Mary College. He’s a graduate of the U.S. Marine Corps Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as a marine officer.

Duggan formerly served as the chair of Jacksonville’s Charter Revision Commission.

As a veteran , one of Duggan’s priorities will be to support those who have served in the armed forces.

“Obviously we have an enormous military presence here in Jacksonville, particularly in House District 15,” he said at a candidate forum last month. “It’s of course incumbent upon us to serve those who have served and sacrificed for us.”

Duggan said he will look for ways to enhance and expand programs that are already in place for veterans, such as the veterans’ treatment courts in the 4th Judicial Circuit and Veterans Florida, a clearing house for resources available to veterans across the state.

Duggan also said he’ll look to expand mental health funding which would benefit all Floridians, not just veterans.

When it comes to education, Duggan thinks Florida should prioritize vocational and technical training in junior high and high school.

“There’s not a one size fits all path to success in life,” Duggan said. “I would like to see us duplicate the dual-enrollment we have with our state college system for a skilled trade certificate.”

“I want to further and continue the legacy of the last 20 years that has led to an environment that’s conducive to economic growth and development, small business activity, hiring and quality education for all of our students,” he said.

Special Projects Producer Brendan Rivers joined WJCT News in August of 2018 after several years as a reporter and then News Director at Southern Stone Communications, which owns and operates several radio stations in the Daytona Beach area.