A.G. Gancarski
Republican Attorney General candidate Ashley Moody will make a campaign swing through Jacksonville Wednesday afternoon.
Moody’s first stop will be at a business in southern Duval County, where there will be a “special announcement” (read: endorsement) from the traditionally GOP-leaning National Federation of Independent Businesses.
Moody will then appear at the Republican Party of Florida headquarters (10111 San Jose Blvd., Unit 6) at 4:00 p.m., for what is billed as a “meet and greet.”
Moody emerged from a competitive primary with Rep. Frank White, who had Jacksonville backing including Mayor Lenny Curry and U.S. Rep. John Rutherford.
Jacksonville’s Jay Fant had filed as a candidate but withdrew from the race before qualifying.
However, even facing those headwinds, Moody had strong local support, including fundraising events in Fant’s own House district, and backing from former Duval County Republicans’ chair Cindy Graves.
After that public event, Moody will then have a fundraiser at the tony River Club, where the host committee reflects a party unified behind her (similar to a Ron DeSantis event slated for next week).
Event co-chairs include Brian Ballard (of Ballard Partners), Sen. George LeMieux and Michael Corcoran.
Honorary hosts include Sens. Aaron Bean and Rob Bradley, state Reps. Cord Byrd, Travis Cummings, Travis Hutson, and Jason Fischer, along with Mayor Curry and Congressman Rutherford.
The host committee runs the gamut also, including former Trump campaign Florida chair Susie Wiles, local Fraternal Order of Police head Steve Zona, and deep-pocketed Peter Rummell.
A unified Republican party is necessary in Jacksonville and everywhere else, given the challenge awaiting the candidate in November. Moody will face Democrat Sean Shaw, a state Representative from Tampa, in the general election.
Early polling in the AG race is tight, per the latest survey from St. Pete Polls.
When asked, “If the election for Attorney General were held today, who would you vote for: Republican Ashley Moody or Democrat Sean Shaw,” 46 percent of respondents chose Moody and 44 percent selected Shaw.
The money race for AG shows Shaw with a $500,000 cash-on-hand lead, per the Tampa Bay Times.
However, the big Republican money in metros like Jacksonville may change that.
