A.G. Gancarski
The biggest endorsement in the House District 14 Democratic primary, from termed-out incumbent Mia Jones, was conferred to Leslie Jean-Bart Monday.
The Northwest Jacksonville seat tends to be a Democratic stronghold, and it is widely expected the winner of the Aug. 30 primary will win the election.
“I am confident that Leslie Jean-Bart is the only candidate that will continue the work I have done and build upon it with her own vision for the district,” Jones wrote, describing Jean-Bart as “someone that will continue to move our district forward.”
Jones, in deciding to back Jean-Bart over former Jacksonville City Councilwoman Kim Daniels and former state legislators Terry Fields and Donald Gaffney, framed the decision in a combination of Jean-Bart’s legacy and, more importantly, her extensive activities in the Jacksonville community in the present.
“Leslie comes from a family rooted in community service. She is the granddaughter of the late Mary L. Singleton, the first African-American and woman elected to the Jacksonville City Council and a former state representative that represented this district,” Rep. Jones noted.
As well, Jean-Bart has already been active in Tallahassee fighting for her constituents, Rep. Jones noted.
“Leslie is an attorney that for the past three years has traveled to Tallahassee to speak out against bills that negatively impact our community. She currently serves on the board of the Northeast Florida Community Action Agency, which is an agency that works to end poverty in our area. She also serves on the board for Operation New Hope, an organization that helps ex-offenders re-enter into society by teaching them valuable life and job skills as well as helping them find work,” Jones wrote.
Jones and Jean-Bart have myriad shared connections, including Jones chairing a Mary Singleton Memorial Breakfast before teaching Jean-Bart how to take over. Despite a few well-known opponents, it is clear the person who has spent the last eight years in Tallahassee fighting for voters in House District 14 has a preference for her successor.
Jean-Bart holds a commanding lead in the money race as well: her $60,000 cash-on-hand dwarfs the reserves of all other candidates put together. Fields has not excited the donor class. Daniels’ campaign had one strong month of fundraising that she has not capitalized on. And Gaffney, new to the race, faces an uphill battle to get traction in this crowded field.
