Melissa Nelson in State Attorney race against Angela Corey

The State Attorney race in the 4th Circuit got more complicated Thursday, with Melissa Nelson opening a campaign account in Tallahassee.

Nelson will run as a Republican against Wes White and incumbent Angela Corey.

Is Corey worried? Sounded like it when FloridaPolitics.com spoke with her last month. She referred to the potential for negative campaigning from opponents more than once in the discussion, adding that she’d be “very disappointed if any new candidates started a negative campaign,” that included push polls, negative mailers and other ads.

White contends a negative campaign is imminent. The “Jacksonville Downtown Elite,” he said, tried to push him out of the race so that Nelson had a clear shot to run a “shock and awe” campaign against Corey.

Nelson’s team will have oppo dump material for days, and will exploit it, along with the help of Shorstein and members of Jacksonville’s moneyed class.