Ed Austin

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Mayor Ed Austin

In office 1991 – 1995
Preceded by	Tommy Hazouri
Succeeded by	John Delaney

Born	July 15, 1926
Spouse	Patricia Austin (deceased)
Profession	Attorney

T. Edward "Ed" Austin, Jr. (born July 15, 1926) is an American politician. He served as mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, from 1991 to 1995. He had been elected a Democrat, but switched parties to become a Republican during his term.

Austin was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, and played football for the Duke University Blue Devils for four seasons, 1945–1948. He received a B.A. and a master's degree in school administration, and received a juris doctor from the University of Florida in 1958. His wife Patricia died in a car accident near St. Augustine in 1996; he was also injured. He married Connie Green in 2003; they divorced in 2006.

Before running for mayor Austin served from 1963 to 1968 as the first public defender for the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida (Duval, Clay and Nassau Counties). Upon the retirement of the then State Attorney, William Hallowes, Austin was appointed by Florida Governor Claude R. Kirk, Jr. to serve as State Attorney. He remained in that position until 1973 when he was appointed to serve as General Counsel for the City of Jacksonville. He returned to the State Attorney position in 1975 and was re-elected four times. He resigned to run against incumbent mayor Tommy Hazouri in 1991 and won the election. His most lasting contribution as mayor is his River City Renaissance program, which funded urban renewal and revamped the city's historic downtown neighborhoods. Austin oversaw the city's purchase and refurbishing of the Saint James Building, which would eventually become Jacksonville's new city hall. Austin did not seek re-election in 1995, and backed the campaign of his Republican chief of staff, John Delaney, who defeated former mayor Jake Godbold to become the next mayor of Jacksonville.