A.G. Gancarski
Hot on the heels of Jake Godbold endorsing Mayor Alvin Brown for re-election comes an endorsement from yet another two-term former mayor — this time going Lenny Curry’s way.
John Peyton Tuesday endorsed Curry via a written statement.
“Today, I proudly endorse Lenny Curry to be Jacksonville’s next mayor,” wrote Peyton, who added that he believes Curry is “the right choice for making Jacksonville a safer and more economically competitive city” and that “I know what it takes to lead the city and I believe Lenny Curry’s experience, skills and passion more than qualify him to handle this important job.”
A lot of the rhetoric on the campaign trail — both in the mayoral and sheriff’s races — has been about the negative effect of discontinuing the Jacksonville Journey programs that seemed not too long ago like they would be the Peyton legacy. Peyton pointed to rising crime as a reason for formally endorsing Curry.
“Jacksonville’s safety should be our No. 1 priority. Recent escalations in violent crime are unacceptable. Far too many lives are being lost to senseless violence and our community risks being defined by the crime. We can do better and the leadership should come from the mayor,” Peyton stated.
“Lenny shares Jacksonville’s values: He and his wife, Molly, are raising their children in Jacksonville and they attend our public schools,” said Peyton, who added, “Lenny started and grew a small business and did it in downtown Jacksonville.”
