Jacksonville City Council President Scott Wilson launches bid for Duval Co. Clerk of Courts

Jacksonville City Council President Scott Wilson

If not now, when?

That’s the attitude of Jacksonville City Council President Scott Wilson, who plans to resign from the 19-person legislative body later this year to pursue another elected office.

Earlier this week, the second-term local legislator filed to run in the Republican primary for Duval County Clerk of Courts.

“I’ve thought about this office for many years. More recently, as my presidency winds down I feel like the timing is right. If not now, then when is the right time? The seat is open with no incumbent,” Wilson commented early Friday morning.

“Yes, I will submit my resignation prior to qualifying. It will take effect when my successor assumes office,” Wilson said. “It will not have any impact on my presidency as I will leave office in August or November.”

Among the goals of his candidacy: to cut head count of appointed workers to hire more front line workers (the latter of which may be a challenge in the budgets to come).

For Wilson, the run would be a return to familiar stomping grounds: until he became a Council aide for Don Redman, his predecessor in the District 6 Southside seat, he spent most of his career as one of those worker bees.

“I spent much of my career working for the Clerk of the Circuit and County Court, testing through the ranks from entry level as a Court Record Clerk 1 to the highest civil service position, Court Operations Supervisor. If elected, I’ll be the first Clerk with actual courtroom experience,” Wilson noted.

“I served as a Trial Clerk in Misdemeanor and Traffic from 1996 to 1998. I was mostly a floater which means I went to a different courtroom everyday but I was assigned to Judge James Ruth’s courtroom prior to transferring to the full service beaches office. I also served as a Trial Clerk in first appearance Court, Felony bond hearings, civil proceedings and Domestic Violence injunctions as needed,” he remarked.

“I supervised the full service Beaches office from 1998 to 2001 which included Circuit and County Civil, Family Law, Recording, Official Records, Traffic Violations, Misdemeanor and Marriage License. I also managed Mental Health, Probate and others.”

“I was assigned many projects through my career but one of my proudest successes was creating the Center for Prevention against Domestic Violence in October 2001 which was a partnership between SAO, Court Administration, Clerk of Court, JSO, Mayor John Delaney and Hubbard House. We received the Governor’s Peace at Home award presented by former Governor Jeb Bush,” Wilson noted.

Wilson faces an uphill battle, even with the relative name identification he has as the presiding officer of the Council.

Current Chief Operating Officer Jody Phillips awaits Wilson in the August primary, with over $72,000 cash on hand and strong establishment support.

Among his donors: former Mayor John Peyton‘s Gate Petroleum; Florida Foundation for Liberty, the political committee of future House Speaker Paul Renner; incumbent clerk Ronnie Fussell; and Jacksonville Chamber CEO (and likely 2023 mayoral candidate) Daniel Davis.

Wilson has struggled, relatively speaking, with fundraising. Even in his 2019 bid for re-election, he raised just over $60,000.

The winner of the GOP primary will face Democrat Jimmy Midyette, a Westside attorney who may be best known for LGBT activism that included advocating for the expansion of the city’s Human Rights Ordinance to offer protections in housing, employment, and public accommodations.

Former Jacksonville City Council presidents have made political moves before: Anna Brosche, fresh off a showdown with Mayor Lenny Curry over the first of two pushes to sell the local utility, ran for Mayor in 2019. Curry won in the first election, without even the one-on-one May runoff Brosche would have needed to have a chance.

Wilson’s term as Council President extends through June. It will be interesting to see which of his colleagues endorses him, and if there are any particular consequences for trying to move up from the President’s chair.

He will leave office at a challenging time in the city’s history, with the economy devastated by coronavirus response, and with key goals of his seemingly abandoned.

Wilson has spoken about the need to help the more distressed areas of his district. But that push will be left to his successor to complete.