Former aide to Kim Daniels to primary Tracie Davis

Rep. Tracie Davis seeks voting rights reform this session. Image via Phil Sears.

The intrigue continues in Jacksonville-area Democratic primaries, with yet another incumbent set to face a primary challenge in 2018.

The latest development is in House District 13, where incumbent Rep. Tracie Davis will face a challenge from Roshanda Jackson, a former district secretary for state Rep. Kim Daniels.

Davis, who got the Democratic nomination after Reggie Fullwood withdrew in 2016 because of campaign finance malfeasance and wire fraud issues, finished a close second to the formerly powerful Jacksonville politician in the primary.

However, Fullwood’s withdrawal set the stage for Davis’ entry, with a “vote Fullwood to elect Davis” campaign propelling her to a 14 point victory against Republican opponent Mark Griffin.

Jackson said that she is not “running against” Davis, whom she doesn’t know. And she says that “no elected official has encouraged [her] to run.” And she takes pains to note that she doesn’t want her bid for office to be conflated with that of Daniels.

“I hope the race is peaceful,” Jackson said.

Davis, when asked about the primary challenge, noted that she is focused on the Legislative Session, with gun safety and school hardening bills among her priorities, and will turn her election to the campaign after Session.

This filing comes just weeks after Jacksonville City Councilman Reggie Brown launched his primary challenge to Senate Minority Leader Designate Audrey Gibson.

A persistent narrative has surfaced that Brown was put up to running by Mayor Lenny Curry, which both Brown and Curry deny.

Democratic Party insiders don’t discount that narrative, but also note that another source of these primary challenges may be the post-Corrine Brown struggle for primacy in the Jacksonville Democratic machine.