Jacksonville basketball legend Artis Gilmore is stepping off the court and into politics. And this may be about more than one City Council seat.
The 77-year-old NBA Hall of Famer announced this week that he’s running as a Democrat against Republican City Council President Nick Howland for the At-Large Group 3 seat in 2027.
Gilmore is certainly a familiar name in Jacksonville. But politics? That’s a whole new ballgame for the former Jacksonville University basketball star.
And it got us thinking.
Just two months ago, Democrat Moné Holder defeated Republican Deborah Wesley in another countywide Council race. That victory came with some serious financial backing from longtime Democratic supporter and Jacksonville attorney Steve Pajcic.
How serious? Try $510,000.
That’s how much Pajcic contributed to Jacksonville Together, a political committee supporting Holder’s campaign.
Holder, who is also a senior official with the progressive organization Florida Rising, won the election and changed the balance of Jacksonville’s 19-member City Council to 13 Republicans and six Democrats.
Here’s why that matters.
Jacksonville has five at-large Council seats. Unlike the 14 district seats, these are elected by voters throughout Duval County. And every one of those members gets a vote on our city’s budget, taxes, spending, and major decisions affecting Jacksonville’s future.
It takes 10 votes to form a majority on the 19-member Council. With the current 13–6 split, four additional Republican seats would have to change hands for Democrats to hold a 10–9 majority, assuming no other changes.
That’s a lot more than a basketball game. That’s political power.
Now here’s another interesting connection.
Gilmore and Pajcic aren’t strangers to the same Jacksonville circles. Gilmore has participated in the Pajcic family’s charity golf events benefiting Jacksonville Area Legal Aid over the years.
Does that mean Pajcic recruited Gilmore or is financing his campaign?
We don’t know, and there is no verified evidence of that at this point.
Pajcic’s substantial financial support for Holder’s campaign is well documented. It demonstrates his willingness to invest significantly in a countywide Council race. But whether that investment is part of a broader effort to change control of City Hall remains an open question.
And let’s not forget that Democratic Mayor Donna Deegan has had her share of disagreements with the Republican-controlled Council. A different Council makeup could change how her administration’s proposals are received.
So here’s what Eye will be watching as the 2027 elections approach:
Who is recruiting the candidates? Who is financing their campaigns? And are these individual races, or part of a larger effort to change Jacksonville’s political leadership?
Gilmore was known as The A-Train during his basketball career.
We’ll be watching to see who, if anyone, is helping fuel his political journey.
Because the game being played behind the scoreboard is the most interesting to watch!
