Lenny Curry talks Donald Trump, Zika, and Mark Hulsey

In a Friday press gaggle, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry touched briefly on hot-button topics, including Donald Trump, Zika, and Judge Mark Hulsey.

Regarding Trump, Curry indicated support, but it was notably not as emphatic as the mayor’s support for Sen. Marco Rubio during Rubio’s run for president.

“I’m a Republican — newsflash,” Curry said.

However, “I have friends who are Democrats, and I am focused on leading the city.”

While Curry, a former RPOF Chair, is “with the Republican nominee on the national level,” he reiterated he is “focused” on leading the city.

When asked if he was willing to answer for some of Trump’s rhetoric, which is not exactly consensus-building on occasion, Curry said, “I’m not answering for Trump’s rhetoric.”

Later, Curry added: “I don’t answer for anyone’s rhetoric.”

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Regarding Zika, Curry noted mosquito control helicopters currently in the city’s budget are “uninsurable.” To that end, a mosquito control helicopter is in the new budget.

Though that would provide long-term efficacy, by the time the budget takes effect in October, mosquito season will be over.

In previous messaging on Zika, Curry has stressed the importance of home and property owners taking measures to drain standing water from receptacles, as it is often a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

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Also discussed was Judge Mark Hulsey, currently under investigation by the Judicial Qualifications Commission for various alleged racist and sexist comments, and overuse of staff attorneys.

Hulsey’s infractions, which allegedly date back to a 2011 call for African-Americans to be shipped back to Africa, remind long-term Jacksonville observers of Judge John Santora.

Santora had made a series of racially inflammatory comments in an on-the-record interview, which led to pressure from the business community and civil rights leaders for him to step down.

Curry would not call for Hulsey to step down, though the allegations troubled him. However, he did say that during “moments where there is potential for disunity, my job is to step up.”