A.G. Gancarski
The GOP race in HD 12 is as crowded as anyone could want, with three former Jacksonville City Councilmembers and a current Council assistant among the six-man field.
Yet, a confident Mark MacLean, in a mailer appeal to “pro-jobs conservatives,” declares himself “poised to win” the race to succeed Lake Ray (who, word is, is about to make his and his family’s preference in this race known in the March fundraising report for a certain candidate).
MacLean, hosting a “pro-business campaign fundraiser” for his HD 12 race, invites Republicans to meet him at Kessler Creative in Mandarin, in HD 16. Doors open at 5:30 Thursday evening; the fundraiser starts half an hour later.
There will be some star power at the event, with Miss Jacksonville (Amanda Hatcher, a Reliant Florida employee who was just at the Journey to One launch with Mayor Lenny Curry last week). With Curry ally Richard Clark still in the race, don’t look for Curry to be there.
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if the business community will warm to MacLean, given Clark remaining in the race, and given the Chamber-friendly Terrance Freeman also launching his campaign.
MacLean, new to the race, has demonstrated financial strength thus far. Prior to the surfacing of his March numbers next week, he has raised almost $18,000 in less that two months, with $16,500 in loans.
The mailing may have not been optimally targeted, though; this particular one was received outside of HD 12 by a non-Republican.
