John Delaney

Other than when the City and County were Consolidated into a unified city/county government, he is the only Jacksonville Mayor to run without opposition since the city was formed in the 1820’s.

He was the first Republican elected to the position since 1888.

John Adrian Delaney (born June 29, 1956) is an American lawyer, politician, and university and college President.

The City of Jacksonville and County of Duval were merged into a consolidated city/county government in the 1960’s, retaining the moniker of Jacksonville.

He graduated from Terry Parker High School in 1974.

He was Captain of the Debate Team, was a regional champion and was offered a number of debate scholarships to colleges/universities, including to the University of Florida.

He declined the scholarships to focus on his studies.

At the University of Florida, he joined Delta Upsilon fraternity, graduated in 3 years and received a B.A. in 1977.

He did some post-baccalaureate work before starting law school in 1978.

Delaney and his wife Gena met in 1979 and married in 1980.

She graduated from UF, then went on after their first two children were born to obtain a Nursing degree.

She worked at St Vincent's Hospital.

They reside in Neptune Beach, a town on a barrier island off the coast of the mainland of Jacksonville.

Their house is the home Gena grew up in.

They have four children: Bill (Katie), Adrian (Will) Milford, Meg (Drake) Skinner and Jimmy (Payton.) John and Gena have five grandchildren.

In 1981, he received a J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, passing the Bar the same year.

He later received an Honorary Doctorate from Edward Waters College, now Edward Waters University.

Delaney graduated law school and passed the Florida Bar exam in 1981 and was hired by then State Attorney Ed Austin, becoming Austin's Chief Assistant State Attorney in 1985.

His father, Jim, was a mid-level executive with General Motors, retiring from GM in 1982, and retiring again in the mid-1990’s after being later-rehired by GM.

His mother, Mary Anne (Langius) was a school teacher, retiring after John and his brothers were born.

Her father, Adrian Nelson (Gus) Langius was the long time State of Michigan Architect (FAIA) and state Building State Director.

Jim and Mary Anne went to high school together, but did not start dating until sophomores at college.

Mary Anne transferred from the University of Michigan to Jim's Michigan State University, where both graduated.

John has two younger brothers, James Langius (Gus,) a retired long time budget analyst and auditor for the state of Florida, and Joe, a crime analyst for the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

They also helped raise a niece (Rebecca Keeney (Maldonado) (Husband Jorge) and a nephew Nathan Keeney (Paola) when Gena's oldest sister died in a car crash in 1987. Rebecca and Nathan have three children total. Bill is a published author and co-owner of the blog, The Jaxon and of the local magazine, Edible. Gena retired from nursing when John was elected Mayor to care for their children, and to also help care for her mother. (Both of Gena's parents lived with the Delaney's until their deaths in 1985 and 1997, respectively.)

He was the youngest Chief Assistant of the 20 judicial circuits in the state at the time, and still was when he left the courthouse in 1991.

Austin became a second father figure and a role model to Delaney and to many of the thousands who worked for Austin.

Austin was one of the most influential figures in Jacksonville history.

When Austin was elected Mayor of Jacksonville in 1991, Delaney became the city's General Counsel for two years, and served as Austin's chief of staff for two years.

He served as mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, from 1995 to 2003, and as the president of the University of North Florida from 2003 to 2018.

In 2021, he was named President of Flagler College after a few months as Interim.

He is a member of the Republican Party.

Delaney was born in Lansing, Michigan, and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio.

His family moved to Jacksonville when he was sixteen.

Delaney ran for mayor himself in 1995 when Austin declined to seek a second term.

Austin endorsed Delaney.

In 1995, Delaney defeated former Mayors Jake Godbold and Tommy Hazouri to become Mayor of the City of Jacksonville, Florida, serving two consecutive terms from 1995 to 2003.

That election was in 1999, when he ran unopposed for his second term.

He was succeeded by John Peyton in July 2003.

The city is the largest in land area in the continental United States, and approximately the 12th largest city in population in the country.