A.G. Gancarski
It’s been weeks since Lenny Curry brought in national firepower for a campaign event. The last time was when he brought in Mitt Romney for a fundraising event in April. But arguably, he’s saving the best for last, bringing in Marco Rubio for what Team Curry bills as a Get Out the Vote Victory Rally.
In a clear indication that the Republican side expects the Brown team to marshal its firepower ahead of Tuesday’s election, the Curry side sent an email from its candidate Friday morning.
“The debates are over, the donation deadline has passed, and all that’s standing between our team and the Mayor’s seat are five days — five days during which we will need your help more than ever! This race is a dead heat, and the Mayor is using all of his powerful resources to gather up his base. We need to show him that every person in Jacksonville matters, and that starts with getting voters to the polls,” Curry wrote.
“To help us get out the vote, this Monday, Senator Marco Rubio will be joining us for a Get Out To Vote Victory Rally on Monday, May 18th, at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront at 1:30 p.m.”
How big of a get is this? Most polls and discussions have Rubio polling atop the field of 2016 GOP presidential hopefuls. What this shows is that even if the Brown side brings in President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton or former President Bill Clinton, it will not win the news cycle before Election Day without a serious contest.
The current expectation is that U.S. Rep. John Lewis will come in to accompany the mayor to Souls to the Polls events on Sunday. It will be interesting to see whether more star power is added, as the most big budget mayor’s race in Jacksonville history winds toward conclusion.
