Jax politicians get hyped about surging Jaguars
Lenny Curry still loves the Jags.

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'It’s game day and the kids are already ready to tailgate.'

Jacksonville politicians who diverge ideologically are united behind the hometown Jaguars ahead of Saturday night’s tilt with the Tennessee Titans.

Republican and Democratic mayoral candidates alike are enthusiastic about the surging home team’s chances to win the AFC South outright in the next few hours, a position that transcends policy considerations and the partisan politics of this local election year.

LeAnna Cumber, a member of the Jacksonville City Council and one of four Republicans in the 10-person field, thus far is the only one to offer a prediction against the point spread. She’s taking the home team and giving the points, at least rhetorically.

“Good morning Jacksonville! It’s game day and the kids are already ready to tailgate. Jaguars are favored by 6.5. I’ll take that line. I think final score will be 27-16. What’s your prediction?”

Democrat Donna Deegan leads in polls and fundraising on the Democratic side, and she also is showing pride in the home team ahead of the rivalry contest.

“Beautiful colors to the east and west this Saturday morning. Looking forward to lots of teal from every direction tonight at The Bank!”

Cumber and Deegan are two of 10 candidates in the mayoral race, and when it comes to Jaguar enthusiasm, they and everyone else are behind current Mayor Lenny Curry, who has aggressively co-branded with the team and owner Shad Khan throughout his nearly two terms in City Hall.

Curry has enthused about the team for days, a trend not likely to stop until or unless the Jaguars’ season ends, and maybe not even then.

“We started December 11th at 4-8. They were 7-5. Tomorrow we play for The Division Championship,” Curry tweeted Friday.

The Jaguars still have a path to a wildcard seed if they lose to Tennessee, but a win ensures the fourth seed and a home game next week, likely against the Los Angeles Chargers, a team the Jaguars defeated already in 2022.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has written for FloridaPolitics.com since 2014. He is based in Northeast Florida. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


2 comments

  • Margaret

    January 7, 2023 at 8:28 pm

    Jacksonville politicians should “get hyped” about governing better than they have been for their past terms and for their plans to govern in the future, if elected. For a city of over One Million people, it should have better government, more responsive to its citizens, instead of football.

    Too much City tax monies going into Khan’s coffers for his projects has meant less for roads, which should give Curry the appelation of “Mayor “Pothole” Curry. One, in particular, I have been eyeing for his entire Administration, which has remained unrepaired, right on a major street in downtown, whose development has stayed, for the last 8 years, mostly on paper.

  • no to stadiium upgrades

    January 8, 2023 at 5:27 am

    get ready for big push for hundreds of millions of dollars going to stadium upgrades, that’s tax dollars, money could be spent better.

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