Gunshots ring out in first Anna Brosche political committee ad

Gunshots and babies crying: the audio takeaways from the first political ad from the political committee of Jacksonville Mayoral candidate Anna Brosche.

The ad hits on the “Curry Crime Wave” messaging employed by Brosche’s campaign and surrogates, interspersing those disturbing noises with blasts of text damning Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry‘s public safety performance.

The quotes are from news articles.

“Mayor Lenny Curry promised a safer city. Three years later, Jacksonville’s violence is up … Jacksonville led Florida in mass shootings in 2018.”

This sets up a call-to-action: “Stop the Curry Crimewave. Stop Lenny Curry.”

The spot, thus far on Facebook only, will be running on social media and television (though no buys are confirmed as of yet). Details on the ad buy weren’t offered by the Brosche camp.

Tim Baker, on behalf of the Curry campaign, has authored his share of tough spots. But he framed the New Day ad as a grievous tactical error.

“That’s disgusting. I hope they actually put that on TV because that will explode in their face. Never seen something so exploitative,” Baker asserted Wednesday.

Curry, running with the support of the Fraternal Order of Police, prioritized public safety on the campaign trail in 2015.

He vowed to invest in public safety and has hired more police, funded better equipment, and has resolved a liquidity crisis by closing defined benefit pensions to new city hires.

Yet crime is still an issue on Jacksonville streets, and this ad shows that Brosche’s campaign intends to message on it.

At last recounting, Brosche’s committee had raised over $325,000. It’s clear that money is starting to move.

But as of yet, no ad buy.

Curry said the ad was “playing politics,” a distraction from the policy moves he has made on pension, on public safety, and other fronts.

“I’m going to run on my record and let others play politics,” Curry said.