A.G. Gancarski
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry is the only former Republican Party of Florida chair (so far) to run the Northeast Florida city, and Curry’s platform has proven useful to candidates from outside the area.
In 2016, when then-candidate Donald Trump rallied in the city, Curry served as an emcee for a portion of the program.
Earlier in 2018, when Ron DeSantis was locking up the Republican nomination, Curry weighed in with a strong endorsement of his “brother from another mother.”
To be sure, political capital is invested in these moves. Curry’s Democratic predecessor Alvin Brown avoided partisan politics. However, Curry leans into it.
With DeSantis and longtime Curry ally Gov. Rick Scott in dogfights for the governorship and Bill Nelson‘s Senate seat respectively, we caught up with Curry Friday regarding the campaign as it moves to its final days.
“Having been in a big election, having run hard, run through the tape if you will, you’ve got to work it to the end. That’s what they’re going to do,” Curry said.
“I expect that they’re going to turn the vote out, but [also] make the case to swing voters and independent voters who are looking to ensure that Florida continues on a path towards job growth and investment,” Curry added.
One key to Curry’s victory as Mayor: pulling NPAs and conservative Democrats away from Alvin Brown, in a city with a Democratic registration advantage.
However, while candidate Curry had meaningful Republican support, including Jeb Bush, Rick Perry, and Marco Rubio, the dynamics of a local race in 2015 seem quaint compared to a thoroughly nationalized race that sees a polarizing President come to Florida twice for DeSantis and Scott in the last week.
Halloween was the shot. Saturday in Pensacola, the chaser.
We asked Curry if Trump would help with swing voters, and his answer left room for interpretation.
“In any political campaign, there are any number of surrogates. And each surrogate is playing their role to end in a win,” Curry said.
