A.G. Gancarski
Friday, former Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford told the Florida Times-Union that he was running to replace Ander Crenshaw in CD 4.
“Someone has to go up there and restore values and defend our nation,” Rutherford said to the T-U. “We have to create an environment where business can grow and thrive.”
Rutherford has backing of the major players in the donor class that propelled Lenny Curry to the mayoralty of Jacksonville in 2015, a race in which the Sheriff was a key surrogate and asset in undermining Alvin Brown’s positives and name ID. He is widely considered the odds-on establishment favorite, though quite a few other candidates are mulling a run.
Rutherford had indicated to FloridaPolitics.com and other outlets his strong interest in running Wednesday. Expect Rutherford to co-message with Curry’s pension tax referendum, creating a news cycle synergy other campaigns will struggle to match.
