A.G. Gancarski
In yet another sign that establishment Duval Democrats want to bounce incumbent Rep. Kim Daniels in House District 14, the Jacksonville Young Democrats endorsed her primary opponent, Paula Wright, this week.
The JYD nod continues a trend of establishment support for Wright over Daniels, with Democratic elected officials, including Sen. Audrey Gibson, state Rep. Tracie Davis, and Councilman Garrett Dennis having already endorsed Wright.
Daniels, who has had her share of scandals and apostasies from Democratic orthodoxy, is seen as beatable by those close to Wright. The key to victory is educating voters on Daniels’ true positions. The final count on Aug. 28 will speak to the viability of that strategy.
As of Aug. 10, the last date for which campaign finance data is available, Daniels had roughly $4,700 on hand. She has spent most of the $57,000+ raised on incidentals, running a timid campaign with few appearances at community forums.
The Florida Times-Union endorsed Wright after Daniels no-showed the candidate interview, complete with “Wright is the right choice in HD 14” wordplay in the headline.
Wright, as of Aug. 10, had roughly $13,000 in hard money. Additionally, she has gotten help from a supportive political committee.
The New Direction Now political committee has $27,000 raised to support Wright, $15,000 of that from the Wright-friendly Florida Education Association.
Daniels was first elected to the Northwest Jacksonville seat in 2016, winning a five-way Democratic primary with roughly 35 percent of the vote, before going on to win the general election with 65 percent.
