A.G. Gancarski
Former Rep. Lake Ray rolled out a series of endorsements Tuesday from a group of current and past Jacksonville City Council presidents.
Ray, an Arlington mainstay who represented House District 12 from 2008 to 2016, is seeking a return to Tallahassee in 2022.
Among past Council presidents endorsing him is the current HD 12 incumbent, Rep. Clay Yarborough, who is expected to be the Republican nominee for an open state Senate seat next year.
Current Jacksonville City Council President Sam Newby also endorsed Ray, as did former presidents Elaine Brown, Lad Daniels, Bill Gulliford, Jerry Holland, Kevin Hyde, Stephen Joost, Ginger Soud, and Scott Wilson.
“To say that I am humbled that this group of outstanding Jacksonville leaders would choose to endorse my candidacy would be an understatement. For almost two decades, they have helped our city create jobs and keep our taxes low, all while enhancing our quality of life” Ray said. “I look forward to working with them and our current leadership in helping to move our city and state forward.”
Ray, the president of the First Coast Manufacturers Association, previously represented the area containing HD 12 for eight years on the Jacksonville City Council, between 1999 and 2007. In more recent years, he ran for Congress in 2016 and Duval County Tax Collector in 2018, losing both of those races at the primary level.
The timing of the endorsement rollout is interesting, as Ray is unopposed currently in the race. It is one more sign that parts of the Republican establishment are coalescing behind him.
Ray, an experienced candidate with a strong network developed over decades, has fundraised steadily since launching his return bid for the House in March. He has more than $130,000 in his campaign account, an amount boosted by $50,000 in personal loans.
In addition to the hard money, Ray also has a state-level political committee called A Stronger Florida for Us. That committee has roughly $20,000 in it, with Ray not having focused on committee fundraising yet.
HD 12 is a Republican-leaning district under its current configuration, with more than 48,000 Republicans outnumbering the more than 38,000 Democrats. There are also more than 28,000 third- and no-party-affiliated voters.
