Lenny Curry campaign announces women’s coalition fundraising Luncheon

Lenny Curry‘s Jacksonville mayoral campaign has drawn support throughout the community, but the most surprising support to some outside observers may be Curry’s support among female voters. Our poll last week had Curry up 7 points in a hypothetical head-to-head election against his Democratic opponent.

Central to the appeal Lenny is making to female voters in Jacksonville is his wife, Molly, who featured in early commercials for the campaign. Lenny and Molly have a symbiotic relationship, as husband and wife, and as parents, and the campaign is no exception — as is seen with the Curry campaign’s announcement of a Women’s Coalition Fundraising Luncheon next week at the Jacksonville Marriott on Jacksonville’s Southside.

The email that went out to the Curry email list bears Molly’s imprimatur: “It is my pleasure to invite you to the Women’s Coalition Fundraising Luncheon in support of my husband, Lenny Curry, for Jacksonville Mayor,” she writes. “This campaign has been tough at times, but we know it’s all for the greater purpose of making a Better Jacksonville. As we enter the final stretch, we need your support now more than ever.”

It’s debatable whether the campaign is in its final stretch. What’s not debatable: the fact that the Curry campaign has assembled an all-star team of Jacksonville Republican women for this event, including luminaries such as Cindy Graves, Susie Wiles, Sue Hightower, Suzanne Jenkins, and one of the most exciting under-30 Republicans in Florida, Peret Pass.

I reached out to Team Curry for comment on this event, and chief political strategist Brian Hughes had this to say:

“Lenny and Molly are partners in life. Together, they’ve built a business, a home and a beautiful family in Jacksonville. They care about the future of the city for their children and for every family. Molly’s involvement in the campaign is not a function of political strategy; it’s because she believes that Lenny can lead Jacksonville to a brighter future.”

Regarding Curry’s strength with women, Hughes issued this rejoinder: “I’ll let you ask Alvin Brown’s campaign why women don’t support him, and why he tries to hide the fact that he is a liberal Clinton Democrat.”

We reached out to the Brown campaign for comments on the Curry event and Hughes’ claims.

“Mayor Brown is proud to have the support of women all over Jacksonville and throughout this race he’s going to be reaching out to both women and men to garner their support, just like he has in the past. While the Curry campaign tries to make every issue about politics, Mayor Brown will continue to do what he does best — lead this city as mayor,” asserted Fabien Levy, Brown’s Deputy Campaign Manager.