A.G. Gancarski
Politics in Jacksonville has become big business in recent years, and the 2018-19 election cycle offers ample evidence.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry should have $2 million on hand by the end of the month.
Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams already has passed the $400,000 cash on hand mark.
Neither Curry nor Williams, both Republicans, have serious competition for re-election next year.
More than a few City Council candidates, some running unopposed and some with at least nominal opposition, are in six figures on hand almost a year before the first election.
Likewise, more candidates for the Florida House than not have raised over $100,000, with Democrat Tracye Polson already over $200,000.
Local interests, whether corporate or personal, aren’t shy about spending money to get desired political outcomes.
In theory, it would be an optimal time for the local Republican Party to be marshalling resources.
In practice, a different narrative has unfolded, with the Duval Republicans gasping for air, and relevance, as a party structure.
The April financial report for the party tells a sorry tale of underachievement.
The party went into April with $12,682 on hand.
And it exited April with $10,801 on hand.
Enough money to buy a late model car, but not a new ride. And certainly not enough to make the party players in the elections ahead.
The party reported $1,333 of income, with $3,214 in expenses.
The biggest expense: rent, which at $650 is just too damn high.
Financial record keeping software, presumably to track that nearly $50 a day that courses into the coffers: $140.
Phones aren’t free either: $137.39.
And don’t forget marketing, invoiced at $75. A bargain at twice the price.
The Duval County GOP Chair, Karyn Morton, made news already this week, via a botched attempt to get one Jacksonville City Council Republican elected over another for Council Vice President.
“Hope we’re on the same page this afternoon on the Vice President of Council vote,” Morton texted a Councilman Tuesday.
“As a staunch conservative,” Morton added, “Danny Becton is by far the best candidate. And regarding experience, knowledge, abilities with finance, budget, zoning, etc, again I believe Danny is the better choice.”
Councilman Bill Gulliford, a “staunch conservative” who himself was lobbied by Morton, objected in the strongest possible terms.
“I find it deplorable that any party chair would stick their nose in council business and even worse that they would pick one party member over another member of the same party,” Gulliford texted Tuesday evening.
Numerous Councilors described the process of Morton trying to drive them to vote for one Republican in favor of another, and some conversations got animated.
Morton’s GOP has faced a viability crisis, made more acute by donors preferring to invest directly in candidates rather than a party structure modeled after a circular firing squad.
The arguable nadir for some observers: a failed attempt to purge Robbie Foster, Florida Federation of Young Republicans chair, over “highly disruptive outbursts … a pattern of disruptions over the past year … very loud outbursts and vulgar language … erratic behavior.”
Foster survived the purge attempt, and before the vote, he delineated a key problem with current party leadership, saying Morton was “running the party into the ground.”
“Being REC chair of such a large and strategically important city such as Jacksonville is an awesome responsibility. I’ve seen some amazing people lead the party successfully. Since Karyn became chair she has demonstrated she is not up to the task. She has driven the party into the ground. Driven away donors so necessary to our grassroots efforts and driven away so many volunteers necessary to execute those grassroots efforts,” Foster said.
In the ever changing sphere of Jacksonville politics, what is clear is that there will be no vacuum. The resources will be separated further from party structures.
Some consultants speculate that the ultimate beneficiaries of desiccated, cash-strapped parties are incumbent politicians or checkbook candidates, who both have access to resources outside of the traditional structures.
In Jacksonville, where unitary elections are the rule for city/county offices,
