Melissa Ross
Jacksonville’s GOP mayoral candidates will vie for votes Saturday at the First Coast Tea Party Hob Nob and straw poll.
The Republican event will be moderated by outgoing Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland, who astute readers might recall, had a few headaches overseeing another recent party affair that ended ugly, but with former GOP state party chairman Lenny Curry securing the local party chiefs’ endorsement.
Even if Curry is the establishment favorite, insurgent candidate Bill Bishop is refusing to fall in line, and is expected to make an aggressive push at Hob Nob.
As that plays out, Mayor Alvin Brown‘s re-election effort is quietly consolidating the Democratic incumbent’s support.
Deputy campaign manager Fabien Levy is operating out of a small downtown office, but says an army of volunteers has been working under the radar for Brown for some time, knocking on doors and manning phone banks.
“It’s going well,” he said. “We are on the streets daily and going out again this weekend, talking to the voters. While the mayor’s top priority is always running the city, in the coming weeks you’re going to see him everywhere. He will be walking the neighborhoods and working the phones. He will be connecting with constituents at community meetings across the city.”
Levy says Brown has committed to two mayoral debates before the March unitary election. One is set for March 12 at WJCT studios.
It was, in fact, Brown’s willingness to show up the first time around that helped him win a narrow victory over Republican Mike Hogan in 2011. Hogan, now running for Duval County Supervisor of Elections, took flak for his much-discussed no-shows at a series of public forums and debates at the time that were seen as a deciding factor in Brown’s historic win.
Meanwhile, the mayor’s campaign is expected to release its latest fundraising figures Friday, on the heels of Curry’s announcement that his war chest has topped the $2 million mark. That puts Curry out in front of Brown’s nearly $1.7 million account.
Levy downplays those announcements, saying Brown’s focus on jobs and downtown development are resonating with voters: “We are confident of a strong victory. Mayor Brown sees a second term as a continuation of all the work he’s already been doing. Unemployment is down dramatically. The city is on the upswing. Downtown has made great strides, but it’s not 100 percent there yet. We need to put more effort into building downtown, create jobs and increase housing, and continue to make it a place where people want to live, play and work.”
