A.G. Gancarski
Sen. Audrey Gibson has been looking at running for chair of the Duval County Democratic Party for months now, and this week she made her move.
In an email sent out just after midnight to officers and members of the Duval Democratic Executive Committee Thursday, Gibson announced her candidacy, “a decision made after several months of thought, research, and reflection.”
“I believe we are well poised to help elect a Democrat governor, and other local and state officials,” Gibson wrote, “and we must immediately lay the foundation to make it happen.”
Updated bylaws are one component of her plan. Recruiting precinct committee members to “work the precinct” is another component. Also integral to Gibson’s platform: a youth movement.
“Increasing the number of vice chairs to give multigenerational opportunities for leadership roles and participation in developing standard areas of focus that we don’t have to reinvent every election cycle, like communications, field, social media, data and technology, all of which will help us with continual outreach,” Gibson wrote.
Gibson has taken a leadership role in the party in recent months, helping to ensure Tracie Davis got the nomination and got elected to replace Reggie Fullwood in House District 13. Gibson also led an ultimately unsuccessful campaign against the pension reform referendum on the Duval County ballot, contending the regressive taxation unduly penalized lower-income residents.
Gibson isn’t the only one making moves.
Darren Mason, an assistant to Jacksonville City Councilwoman Joyce Morgan, cites his “ambitious nature” as a selling point for his bid for vice-chair.
Mason notes, in his email declaring his candidacy, that the party has “not done a good job” reaching out to all communities in Jacksonville, and he would prioritize community engagement.
Mason also advocates a full-time executive director position: “I believe that, with the donor base in Jacksonville, we need a strong and pragmatic plan and a person dedicated full-time to facilitate the development of a plan and executing this plan in order to achieve our strategic goals.
Mason is also prepared to “lead and run meetings” to stave off “stagnation,” should the chair be absent.
Lisa King, meanwhile, announced her bid for re-election as state committeewoman.
King, who lost a race to Republican Al Ferraro for city council in 2015, notes she “received endorsements from a broad range of labor and business organizations while proudly representing the Democratic Party. The quality of the campaign … was broadly noted … outperformed every Democrat on the ballot in my District.”
King also pointed to being removed from the planning commission in what Democrats call a “purge” by Mayor Lenny Curry as a strength.
“I stood up to Mayor Curry when he targeted me during his purge of Democrats from city boards and commissions. As the newly elected chair of the Jacksonville Planning Commission I called him out in the media, burnishing our brand. I had the strength to take this stand because I knew all of you had my back. And after my stand, his purge stopped,” King notes.
King also notes her leadership of Hillary Clinton‘s primary campaign in Northeast Florida as a selling point.
“Her victory in Duval County led to my election as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. I hosted trainings for Duval’s entire delegation to the DNC … I was also tapped to serve as a floor leader at the DNC and my leadership was recognized by Democratic leaders from around our state. And while we were all disappointed in the ultimate result of the race, Duval County was the ONLY County in Florida to exceed President Obama’s numbers, a testament to all of our hard work,” King wrote.
Another high-profile member of the party, former school board candidate Bradford Hall, sent an email to DEC insiders that sounded like he was running for something … maybe.
“If you believe you have something to contribute to this party,” Hall wrote, “please consider running for a leadership position. It does not matter how long you have been a part of the executive committee. Just by being here, you have proven your commitment to a brighter future for Democrats. We must show the diversity we all fight for every day. We hear the call all around us for a renaissance within our party. That renaissance should begin right here in Duval County.”
