John Rutherford for CD4? Not so fast, say some Jax Republicans
Former Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford

rutherford

Jacksonville Republicans of influence are beginning to push back against what they call “the rush to anoint John Rutherford as Ander Crenshaw‘s successor.”

A well-placed mover in moderate North Florida Republican circles tells Florida Politics that the group, consisting of both business and political leaders, is on the hunt for someone else to throw their hat into the ring.

Former Sheriff Rutherford is seen as having the inside track on the seat, with strong poll numbers, and high favorable ratings and name recognition. He has already locked up Mayor Lenny Curry‘s support, along with the financial muscle of several heavy hitters in North Florida who historically have backed winning candidates (or what critics deride as the city’s good ol’ boy network).

However, this email message was recently sent to said Republican influencers around town, raising questions about the process:

As I’ve reflected on what transpired yesterday in the 24 hours following Ander Crenshaw’s retirement announcement, I’ve become more discouraged about the future of our city and the region. As much as I respect the mayor and wish he and his team well, the rush to anoint John Rutherford as Crenshaw’s successor smacked of repayment of a political debt, not necessarily a thoughtful endorsement of the candidate best positioned to boost our city’s clout in Washington.

I have nothing against the sheriff and nothing against any of the candidates whose names were floated yesterday, but none jumped out as someone that possessed the ability to quickly rise in leadership in DC. And that’s what being in Congress is all about. It’s not about the safe candidate to whom everyone owes a political favor. It’s about ensuring we have the clout to protect our military bases, expand them and bring home our share of the tax dollars that we send north. Charlie Bennett was that kind of guy. So was Tillie Fowler. They were both forces of nature and had Tillie not kept her term limit promise, she could very likely have been the Florida’s first Speaker of the House.

I don’t see any of the names floated in today’s paper as capable of filling their shoes. I see well-meaning politicians, but no one with the charisma and political skill to quickly plug into leadership. I don’t know what the answer is. I wish we had a deeper bench of up-and-comers who could go to Washington and make Jacksonville’s voice matter. Instead, we see the norm — the same political players lining up behind the same candidates. I know they mean well, but damn it, isn’t it time for a breath of fresh air?

For local political observers, the question now becomes, who might this group persuade to run that can “make Jacksonville’s voice matter?”

Melissa Ross

In addition to her work writing for Florida Politics, Melissa Ross also hosts and produces WJCT’s First Coast Connect, the Jacksonville NPR/PBS station’s flagship local call-in public affairs radio program. The show has won four national awards from Public Radio News Directors Inc. (PRNDI). First Coast Connect was also recognized in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014 as Best Local Radio Show by Folio Weekly’s “Best Of Jax” Readers Poll and Melissa has also been recognized as Folio Weekly’s Best Local Radio Personality. As executive producer of The 904: Shadow on the Sunshine State, Melissa and WJCT received an Emmy in the “Documentary” category at the 2011 Suncoast Emmy Awards. The 904 examined Jacksonville’s status as Florida’s murder capital. During her years in broadcast television, Melissa picked up three additional Emmys for news and feature reporting. Melissa came to WJCT in 2009 with 20 years of experience in broadcasting, including stints in Cincinnati, Chicago, Orlando and Jacksonville. Married with two children, Melissa is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism/Communications. She can be reached at [email protected].



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