Angela Corey launches her “grassroots” re-election campaign

Having covered my share of campaign launches, Angela Corey‘s on Tuesday evening at the Jacksonville Landing was unique. Slated to start at 6:00 p.m., it actually started a few minutes early.

Perhaps it was the rain that caused the early start. Corey, seeking her third term as the State Attorney for the Fourth District, was doing what could be called a soft launch for a “grassroots” re-election campaign. She noted that she sent out an “informal invitation” and was “awed” by the dozens of supporters who showed up.

Corey kept her remarks anodyne and positive, talking about her first run in 2007, when she vowed to “work with law enforcement, not against them” when running. She touted her tough stance against repeat violent offenders, while citing her commitment to diversion programs, all of which allowed her office to bring “the circuit out of the bottom” of rankings when she took office, bringing it to the upper echelon.

She addressed her critics tangentially, mentioning voices that were “loud about certain cases,” but were never as “loud as [the] victims.”

She had qualified for previous races by petition, and petitions were being circulated at the Landing also.

Her near term goals include working with Sheriff Elect Mike Williams to “attack” violent crime, with a special focus on “criminals with guns.”

When asked about the criticisms levied by her opponent, Wes White, Corey took the high road, saying that she was “running for the privilege of serving the community” and was intent on focusing on her record.

When asked about a University of North Florida poll from March that had her job approval rating at just 35 percent (with a net unfavorability of -16 percent), Corey called it a “blip on the radar,” and cited her concern about educating the public.

“People render their opinions based on what they read in headlines,” Corey opined.

The real question regarding her re-election is not the token challenge from Wes White, but whether or not another candidate jumps into the fray to capitalize on her poll doldrums. Time will tell on that front.