A.G. Gancarski
On Jacksonville’s Southbank, the Lenny Curry campaign on Wednesday is unveiling a “major press announcement by the Lenny Curry for Mayor campaign. DON’T MISS IT! Lenny Curry will be joined by special guests with a special perspective on Jacksonville’s future.”
Curry has been joined by special guests before. Rick Perry. Pam Bondi. Adam Putnam. All of those figures are important state or national figures, for sure. But they aren’t local.
In terms of local endorsements, Curry’s gotten the John Peyton nod, though there hasn’t been a public event. One endorsement that has been kept as a hold card, however, is that of former mayor and current University of North Florida President John Delaney.
Isn’t it about time?
The rumor mill has been churning about this announcement and no one is confirming, as of yet. The stakes are high. And much of the noise from the former Bill-eivers and the Alvin Brown campaign has been about prominent Republicans not endorsing Curry (like Jim Love) or endorsing Brown (like Ray Holt and Stephen Joost).
Those are blips in the newscycle. A Delaney endorsement? Would be hard to fade that one.
John Delaney is one of the best politicians and civic leaders in Jacksonville history. He was so powerful as mayor that he managed to push through, among other things, the Better Jacksonville Plan, the last significant infrastructural renewal project in Jacksonville history. A straight shooter, a temperamental conservative much closer to Bill Gulliford than Geoff Youngblood, an engaged John Delaney (who still, even after being out of office for a dozen years, has better command of the bully pulpit than the two mayors who followed) could make the sale to the Republicans who have yet to commit to Curry, as well as the undecided Independents, as our poll analysis Tuesday indicated.
Let’s be clear. No one on the inside is confirming anything. But people who know logistics in this city, outside of the campaign side of the world, know something big is about to pop. Could a John Delaney endorsement be it? And if so, what could the mayor’s office do to counter it? Would he have to tack to the left in the next few days on an issue of import to former “Democrats for Bishop”? And if so, the mechanics of that would be a story worth telling.
If Delaney were to endorse, he would be able to affirm Curry’s Plan, affirm his ability to be a steward for the city of Jacksonville, and signal, just by his being there, that Curry would reach across the aisle and pursue pragmatism over ideology.
Of course, that would free up Brown to render the critiques of his predecessors from which he so far has refrained. Which could get interesting as well.
Whether it’s Delaney or not, the Wednesday “press announcement” will be “major.” And we will cover the event.
