Donovan Bradley
Donovan Bradley, 26, is a Jacksonville native and Duval County Public Schools graduate whose mother has taught in the district for more than 30 years. He holds a political science degree from the University of North Florida and has worked as a legislative aide in the Florida Legislature and as a policy analyst for local nonprofits. He led the August 2026 primary with about 49% of the vote.
Campaign finance: state and county candidates file with the Florida Division of Elections or the county Supervisor of Elections. Search contributions ↗
Sources last checked 2026-09-18. Report an error ↗
Positions on the major issues
Compare with opponents →Each entry describes what the candidate has said or done, and what they say they will do, in neutral terms with sources. The chip shows how that relates to the statement voters rate in the matching tool.
Education & school choice Leans agree· stated position
Bradley's campaign website lists "Champion School Choice" as a priority and says he will work to make sure parents have options for their child's education, citing his own experience attending schools outside his zoned area. The site does not specifically address public funding for private schools.
"Donovan will lean on his personal experience as a Duval County student to make certain parents have options when it comes to their child’s education."
Teacher and staff pay Leans agree· stated position
Bradley lists teacher retention among his top three issues and says the district should stay competitive on compensation while reducing administrative burdens and streamlining lesson planning.
School safety approach Leans agree· stated position
Bradley's campaign website lists increasing school safety as a top priority and describes working with school resource officers, local law enforcement and crossing guards. It does not mention counselors or mental-health staffing.
"Whether tackling the shortage of crossing guards or working with School Resource Officers, Donovan will partner with local law enforcement to ensure they have the resources needed to keep our students safe."
No public position found on 4 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Taxes & spending, Property taxes, Gender identity laws, Library and classroom materials. This is reported as unknown rather than guessed from party affiliation; these issues are excluded from this candidate's match score.
Other issues this candidate has raised
- Career pathways — Bradley wants to strengthen core reading, math and science instruction and expand career and technical education: 'One of the things that I'd like to see an increase on is better, stronger classroom-to-career pipelines.'
- Career and technical education — Bradley says he will advocate for and expand the Advanced Internship Program, which lets juniors and seniors take paid, credit-bearing internships that count toward career and technical education coursework.
- Teacher retention — Bradley says teacher retention depends on respect, support and opportunities for growth, and that he would focus on eliminating bureaucracy and giving teachers more resources and classroom freedom.