Kevin Carrico locks up Jacksonville City Council VP race

The race to lead Jacksonville’s City Council for the next year appears to be all but over, with not just the presidential race locked up, but also the race for Vice President.

Multiple sources are confirming to Florida Politics that Republican Kevin Carrico has 11 pledges from the 19 members of the Council in the vice presidential race, which is one more than the simple majority needed.

Ken Amaro, Raul Arias, Joe Carlucci, Rory Diamond, Terrance Freeman, Nick Howland, Will Lahnen, Chris Miller and Randy White are all on board, as is current President Ron Salem.

While pledges are simply commitments to vote for the candidate during the leadership elections later this year, Carrico, the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, apparently is poised to be the partner in leadership of current VP Randy White, who will be the next President of the Council.

Carrico was elected from District 4 on Jacksonville’s Southside in a Special Election in 2020 to fill an unexpired term. He faced no competition in his 2023 re-election campaign.

Asked about how he would handle the VP role in what likely will be a tumultuous year including a still-amorphous yet clearly expensive stadium renovation ask from the Donna Deegan administration, Carrico said he would “support the President” and perform the kind of “blocking and tackling” necessary to assert legislative prerogatives in Jacksonville’s divided government.

Parks and recreation and other quality of life issues interest him, as does sports tourism.

He expects White to be a “silent leader” and to that end, he is willing to go to events and present as the face of the City Council when needed.

Regarding the “complicated” dynamic with the Mayor’s Office, Carrico alluded to “some conflicts that aren’t good for the city” since Deegan took over in July.

Regarding the stadium funding deal, his goal is getting the best agreement, looking at terms under a “microscope,” and understanding the financing proposed, including more details on the “rumors and rumblings” he’s heard about using the pension fund as an investor in the build.