A.G. Gancarski
One of the things that critics of Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry bring up is that he was a former county and state party chair.
During the campaign, the tagline was “Party Boss Lenny Curry.”
One thing’s for certain: the Duval Democrats don’t have to worry about their current chair, Neil Henrichsen, getting elected mayor.
Neil is a nice guy. Pleasant to talk to. Yet behind the scenes and off the record, local Democrats tell stories about party inaction and dysfunction and, ultimately, the lack of the concerted effort needed to win local elections.
The May 2015 election saw the Duval Dems get routed by the local GOP.
Since then, they have been scrambling, as a number of Democrats have been removed from boards, and more likely are to come, as the Curry administration puts its people in place.
The recent attempt to remove Lisa King, the Chair elect from the Planning Commission, has met with resistance. King refused to submit the requested letter of resignation, which has set up a clash between King and her advocates on City Council and the Curry administration, as the administration has filed legislation to appoint King’s replacement.
How much support does King have? That’s an open question. Democratic district Councilmen, like Garrett Dennis, have asserted that decisions on boards are mayoral prerogative and the “spoils of campaigning.” King will need some Republicans, and they will have to have the courage to risk bucking the administration. Curry, meanwhile, isn’t backing down either.
Those who know him wouldn’t expect him to.
In the face of Curry’s determination, you would expect Henrichsen to draw a line in the sand, to advance the kind of rhetoric that lets the party faithful know that he will lead the charge to correct the situation.
Instead? A lawyerly letter to the editor in the Florida Times-Union.
Certainly, that will show Curry what’s up.
Henrichsen calls the actions of the Curry administration a “purge” that “will have a chilling effect” on those who are left on the boards (and who were not Curry supporters during the campaign).
“Before the mayor takes any additional actions that divide the community,” Henrichsen concludes, “we hope he steps back and considers the precedent he now sets.”
If I’m Garrett Dennis reading that, or Katrina Brown or Reggie Gaffney, I’m seeing this as a signal.
One that says that there are no real world consequences to falling in behind the mayor.
Local Dems often grouse about wanting a new chair.
Why not a fighter? Why not someone who reacts to seeing his party disrespected with something more than a tepid letter, but with actually ensuring that the case is made, loudly and without reservation, throughout the local media?
What Henrichsen’s letter says to me is that he’d rather lose but retain principle than win.
If Henrichsen showed half the gumption in his reaction (and in general) that King did in her refusal to step down, then perhaps the Democrats would have won some very winnable Council races, and would have real party unity.
From what I’m hearing, party unity is not in evidence.
If Lisa King were party chair, the Duval Dems would be better off.
I can think of some other names as well.
