A.G. Gancarski
Jacksonville Democrat Leslie Jean-Bart so far is running unopposed in the state House District 14 race, though there have been rumblings regarding how much longer that will last. With Councilman Reggie Brown, former Councilwoman Kim Daniels, and even the name of former City Councilwoman and current Director of Blight Denise Lee being linked to the race, questions have also surfaced about Jean-Bart’s sluggish fundraising thus far.
As of the September filing deadline, Jean-Bart had slightly more than $15,000 banked. Expect that to change considerably by the November deadline, as Jean-Bart holds a campaign debut that indicates the depth of her support.
Corrine Brown, Audrey Gibson, Tony Hill, Mia Jones, and Reggie Fullwood highlight the host committee: the first name, the most powerful African-American Democrat in the history of Northeast Florida; the next four, past or present state representatives or senators.
Ken Jefferson, the former Jacksonville Sheriff’s candidate, will also be on the host committee, along with Stephen A. Smith, presumably not the ESPN commentator.
Jean-Bart, a lawyer for Terrell Hogan, is the granddaughter of Mary Singleton, who was one of two African-American women to be elected to Jacksonville’s City Council in the first post-Consolidation election. Her campaign kickoff makes it clear: Anyone running against her will be running against two formidable currents – trial lawyer money and the local African-American political machine.
