A.G. Gancarski
State Sen. Audrey Gibson told FloridaPolitics.com on Wednesday that she is “very seriously considering” a run for chair of the Duval County Democratic Executive Committee.
Current chair Neil Henrichsen will not be running for re-election to head of the often-fractious committee.
If Gibson is to run for chair and win, she expects to “turn the dial up” with regard to the often less-than-inspiring performance of the local Democratic Party.
Gibson’s voice was front and center at a May press event protesting the controversially closed primaries in 4th Circuit races for state attorney and public defender.
Gibson, currently running unopposed for re-election to the state Senate, noted the suspicious closing of the primaries represented “colluding” to silence non-Republican voters. The senator also urged write-in candidates to “withdraw so that all citizens of the circuit” have the right to participate in the now-closed primary.
Gibson, if elected chair of the Duval County Democratic Party, would “build a bench, which we don’t have.”
When the underwhelming fundraising performance of Rep. Lake Ray, Gibson’s colleague in the Duval delegation, as Duval GOP chair was brought up, Gibson was undeterred.
“I can connect with business donors,” Gibson said.
Gibson doesn’t necessarily want to crowd out an aspiring candidate with connection to the grassroots, and her decision will be made in the next few weeks.
