A.G. Gancarski
Congressman Al Lawson, who faces a competitive Democratic primary from former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown in his bid for re-election in Florida’s 5th Congressional District, intends to compete for votes in Brown’s backyard.
The latest example: Lawson opening up a campaign headquarters Tuesday evening in Duval.
The HQ opening kicks off at 4:30 p.m., at 1689 Dunn Ave. A “volunteer meeting” kicks off at 6:00 p.m.
Notable: the Lawson HQ location is just blocks away from the Brown HQ (900 Dunn Ave.).
Lawson has made moves to bolster his Duval operation, including hiring Darren Mason, a former Duval Democrats’ vice chair, to helm the campaign’s Jacksonville moves.
Mason defended his decision to work for Lawson in an interview with this writer last week.
“I keep hearing this is a Jacksonville seat. And I should just fall in line,” Mason said.
“But to me, it’s not [a Jacksonville seat], it’s the people’s seat of the 5th Congressional District,” Mason said. “And we need someone that has a heart to lead the entire district.”
There has yet to be a public poll of the Brown/Lawson race, but conventional wisdom dictates that any inroads the incumbent can make in Jacksonville against Brown’s base bode well for Lawson’s re-election chances.
