Melissa Nelson, Angela Corey talk campaign, family at WOKV Hob Nob

There were a number of complaints about Friday’s WOKV “Hob Nob” in Jacksonville.

Among them, the $500 price for a table was prohibitive for some candidates, which undoubtedly skewed results. Lake Ray‘s win of the Congressional District 4 straw poll may have had something to do with John Rutherford not making a play.

However, there were some races where the ballot reflected reality.

One such: the 317 to 181 vote in favor of County Referendum 1. And the other: the spirited and close battle for state attorney, won 252 to 218 by Melissa Nelson over Angela Corey.

Both viable candidates for state attorney were there. And both talked to FloridaPolitics.com.

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Walking out onto the terrace balcony to talk to Nelson, FloridaPolitics.com noticed something unusual. A row of young people, sitting with “Nelson for State Attorney” stickers on their backs.

Was Nelson stuffing the ballot box? Nope.

The candidate explained they were a group that included her children, nieces, and nephews: “13 kids under the age of 12.”

We were assured by the candidate that support in this bloc was strong, though we did not get to ask them individually if they preferred Corey or the other candidates in the race, Kenny Leigh and Wes White.

The conversation pivoted to the television broadcast of the WJXT-TV state attorney debate next Sunday, which seemed to be up in the air until late last week.

Nelson said she was “thrilled” and the airing of the debate is a “great thing for all of us,” meaning the candidates and voters.

Nelson’s ebullience was notable when discussing how she feels about the campaign.

Any regrets? No.

“There is great power,” Nelson said, “in telling the truth … power in doing the right thing for the right reasons.”

Nelson believes that her main opponent, Corey, is “running on her record” but has demonstrated a “refusal to be accountable” for choices, such as the closure of the Aug. 30 primary to Republicans only.

Regarding the performance of the state attorney’s office in recent years, Nelson notes that conviction rates have “failed to translate into making us safer in any way.”

“The responsibility of the state attorney,” Nelson added, is to “implement strategies that can reduce crime.”

And among those strategies: legitimate criminal justice reform, both on the front end, where extrajudicial resources for nonprofits can help “offenders [who are] amenable to reform,” and on the back end, where reintegrating and transitioning former inmates to become productive members of society drives her.

Community prosecution, meanwhile, is a key to her reform-driven approach, with prosecutors to be integrated in the community, which would help with intelligence gathering and solving (and reducing) crime.

Nelson has run an issues-driven campaign; that can’t be said for certain opponents, such as White.

“He says whatever fits the bill,” Nelson said about her Republican primary opponent, who has been fixated on personal attacks. “Wes White has offered nothing of substance.”

We also spoke to Angela Corey inside the Hob Nob, where she was greeting potential voters and attending to one of her nieces at the same time.

“We’ve loved our support,” Corey said.

When asked about the outcome on Aug. 30 potentially not going her way, Corey had an interesting and philosophical take.

“I’ll be good on Aug. 30 no matter what happens,” Corey said as she hugged her niece, saying “Aunt Angie” is a title no electoral result can take away.