A.G. Gancarski
Big news on Thursday in Jacksonville; to quote the Action News Jax headline: “Ex-NFL player arrested in drug raid is State House candidate’s son. ” That candidate: HD 14 Democrat Kim Daniels.
Daniels’ son, Michael Jennings, was a training camp story for the New York Giants. Newsday got an interesting profile piece a decade ago about his unlikely rise from the rough Sweetwater neighborhood in Jacksonville to an NFL roster.
Daniels, who faced her own demons through much of Jennings’ childhood, was famous for saying she went from the “crack house to the White House.”
A glib line, and one that seems sadly ironic today.
Daniels’ has been dealing with awful personal issues. Her sister died this month. And then, this incident with her son.
On the campaign front, Daniels has yet to file her first month’s numbers. Maybe, just maybe, that’s a sign.
A sign that this isn’t her time to run for office.
Daniels has already reverted to her patterns of obfuscation. Her operation did not have plausible answers for her lack of a January finance report. And when Action News Jax attempted to contact her, there were a few “bad connections,” said Action News Jax, before the calls went to voicemail.
Maybe it’s just an issue with her cellphone company. Or maybe it’s just the beginning of a process she isn’t ready for.
A process of inquiry and scrutiny, the vetting of a candidate that has had more issues than most.
The people of HD 14 deserve better than a representative that has her first scandal before her first campaign finance report.
