‘Fire Anna Brosche,’ urges Lenny Curry political committee in new ad

The first negative ad of the Jacksonville Mayor's race defines a potential challenger.

Jacksonville City Councilmember Anna Brosche, a first-term Republican, has yet to launch her expected campaign for Mayor, but she’s already dealing with incoming fire from the incumbent.

Jacksonville on the Rise, the political committee of GOP Mayor Lenny Curry, launched an ad taking aim at Brosche for several Council votes cast over the last few years.

The ad pays homage to the old Jeopardy! game for personal computers, with cartoon contestants offering the “Who is Anna Brosche?” response to clues that certainly didn’t poll well.

Among the hits: that Brosche voted to get rid of term limits, that she voted to raise her own pay, and that she opposed hurricane relief funds for Northwest Jacksonville.

The spot closes with a stark graphic: Fire Anna Brosche. Even if Brosche downshifts and runs for Council re-election, don’t expect these ads to disappear.

It’s personal between Curry and Brosche. And will stay there.

In 2017, Brosche (then-Council president) was one of six votes for a referendum to end term limits for local elected officials. Also on the losing side: Democrats she appointed to the Finance Committee, including Garrett Dennis and the currently-on-sabbatical Reggie Brown and Katrina Brown.

Curry also went on record objecting to pay raises for public officials in 2017: “It has come to my attention that Council has amended the budget I submitted to now include pay raises for elected officials, which I had not requested. I want to make clear that I do not support pay raises for elected officials. I have asked Council to consider an amendment to the budget tonight that ensures my salary as mayor will not be increased one cent more than it was on the day I took office.”

Regarding the hurricane relief funds, Brosche’s objection was to the source of the money: from the United Arab Emirates, which has a checkered record of human rights abuses at home and abroad.

However, Brosche’s position was pilloried as prejudicial against UAE values by Council President Aaron Bowman, and her bill came close to being repurposed as a “thank you” for the UAE before it was finally killed earlier this month.

Brosche has until Jan. 11 to qualify for Mayor or any other office.

She plans a closed-press, women-only speech on New Year’s Day, though spox Ryan Wiggins contends it’s just a talk with friends and supporters. Brosche likewise has said that she is still figuring out her next move, even as stories have emerged of Brosche showing people she has $500,000 to spend on this race.

Brosche is going to need hard commitments fast, as Curry’s machine is already in high gear. In November, Curry raised $230,000 between his campaign account and his “Jacksonville on the Rise” political committee.

Curry has over $3 million on hand. His closest competition is still NPA Connell Crooms, with roughly $5,000 on hand.

“Rather than focusing on fighting crime, Mayor Curry has prioritized an agenda aimed at helping his friends. This crime wave has forced me to take another look at challenging the current administration and its failed policies,” Brosche said earlier this month.

What’s clear: the oppo machine is in high gear, and any challenge to Curry will involve Brosche playing defense.

Brosche’s road to election would include overcoming a Republican Party lined up against her, then consolidating support from Democrats and Independents. The goal is simple: keep Curry under 50 percent in March, and force a runoff in May.

The math is daunting, however. And if polls show a path, we haven’t seen them yet. But per Brosche political advisor Ryan Wiggins, the prospective candidate is moving forward.

“This ad is an example of the exact sort of behavior that has Anna seriously looking at running for mayor. Mayor Curry and his cronies are more concerned about their political survival than running the city. Their focus should be on ending the Curry crime wave, improving graduation rates, and building the economy, not tearing down a woman who wants to improve our city,” Wiggins said Friday morning.

“The ad is intentionally misleading and was used by the same political consultants in many races in 2016. It reeks of desperation on many fronts, but unfortunately is not surprising considering the source,” Wiggins added.

On behalf of Curry, campaign consultant Tim Baker noted that “leaders lead. They don’t wring their hands and equivocate.”

Expect the Curry side to contend that Brosche has not been resolute, spotlighting initiatives such as her brief and ultimately forsaken advocacy for removing Confederate monuments as City Council President.

Baker added that “Mayor Curry is proud to run on his record of prioritizing public safety and he expects other public officials to do the same.”

The ad is below.