1987 Jacksonville mayoral election

1987 Jacksonville mayoral election

← 1983 May 26, 1987 1991  →

Nominee Tommy Hazouri Henry Cook Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 91,911 31,116 Percentage 74.71% 25.29%

Mayor before election Jake Godbold Democratic Elected mayor Tommy Hazouri Democratic

The 1987 Jacksonville mayoral election took place on May 26, 1987. Incumbent Democratic Mayor Jake Godbold was term-limited and could not run for a third consecutive term. ^[1] Former State Representative Tommy Hazouri won the Democratic primary against former State Representative John Lewis, and faced City Council President Henry Cook, the Republican nominee, in the general election. Hazouri defeated Cook in a landslide, winning 75 percent of the vote to Cook's 25 percent.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Tommy Hazouri, former State Representative ^[2]
• John Lewis, former State Representative ^[2]
• Doug Milne, attorney ^[3]
• Dick Burroughs, former chief of staff to Governor Bob Graham, former Secretary of the Florida Department of Business Regulation ^[3]
• Sinclair W. Wilcox, traffic signalman ^[3]

Results

Democratic primary results ^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Tommy Hazouri	30,139	32.86%
	Democratic	John Lewis	27,571	30.06%
	Democratic	Doug Milne	23,732	25.87%
	Democratic	Dick Burroughs	9,133	9.96%
	Democratic	Sinclair W. Wilcox	1,149	1.25%
Total votes			91,724	100.00%

Runoff

Campaign

The primary runoff between Hazouri and Lewis was sharply negative, with Lewis telling the Florida Times-Union that Hazouri, who was born in the United States to a Lebanese-American family, could not be mayor because he was an "Arab." Hazouri attacked Lewis for his divisiveness, arguing, "He cannot provide the kind of leadership I can provide. Who can best bring the entire community together and not divide the community? Who can best work with the Legislature and the business community and all the citizens of Jacksonville?" ^[5] Hazouri ultimately defeated Lewis by a wide margin.

Results

Democratic primary runoff results ^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Tommy Hazouri	49,882	59.04%
	Democratic	John Lewis	34,611	40.96%
Total votes			84,493	100.00%

Republican primary

City Council President Henry Cook was the only Republican candidate to file and won the nomination unopposed. ^[7]

General election

Results

1987 Jacksonville mayoral general election ^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Tommy Hazouri	91,911	74.71%
	Republican	Henry Cook	31,116	25.29%
Total votes			123,027	100.00%
	Democratic hold

References

1. "Jacksonville picks new mayor". The Tampa Tribune . Tampa, Florida. May 27, 1987. p. 7B. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
2. "Jacksonville Demos in runoff for mayor". Sun-Sentinel . Fort Lauderdale, Florida. April 15, 1987. p. 16A. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
3. "5 Democrats in Jacksonville race". St. Petersburg Times . St. Petersburg, Florida. April 15, 1987. p. 2B. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
4. "First Primary Election - City of Jacksonville Duval County, Florida April, 14, 1987" (PDF). Duval County Supervisor of Elections. April 15, 1987. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
5. "Mayor's runoff turns personal". Orlando Sentinel . Orlando, Florida. May 3, 1987. p. B6. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
6. "Second Primary Election - City of Jacksonville Duval County, Florida May 05, 1987" (PDF). Duval County Supervisor of Elections. May 6, 1987. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
7. "Voters pick Democrat and reject billboards". St. Petersburg Times . St. Petersburg, Florida. May 27, 1987. p. 2B. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
8. "General Election - City of Jacksonville Duval County, Florida May 26, 1987" (PDF). Duval County Supervisor of Elections. May 28, 1987. Retrieved July 6, 2025.