Before returning to Senate, Tracie Davis must dispatch a Primary challenger

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 1/5/23-Sen. Tracie Davis, D-Jacksonville, during the Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services, Thursday at the Capitol in Tallahassee. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

Sen. Tracie Davis will be on the campaign trail this Summer now that a Primary opponent has qualified to run against her.

Her opponent, 40-year-old Francky Jeanty, is a graduate of Edward Waters University (EWU). Jeanty is a published author of a motivational book, a self-described “educational consultant,” a former student recruiter for Keiser College, a former admissions counselor for EWU, and a former manager at a car rental dealership.

Davis has lost only one General Election in her political career: a 2015 battle for Duval County Supervisor of Elections. While she didn’t win a 2016 Primary for the House in the original count, she was chosen as the Democratic candidate after the original candidate withdrew due to personal legal issues.

As a Senate candidate, Davis had over 55% of the vote in 2022’s General Election over Republican Binod Kumar and write-in opponent Patrick Lee Cooper. She won the Primary election against former Jacksonville City Councilman Reggie Gaffney by nearly 40 points earlier that year.

Jeanty opened a campaign account last month to run in Senate District 5 this cycle. Both he and Davis qualified Monday.

Resources are already going the incumbent’s way.

With all fundraising through May accounted for, Davis has more than $40,000 cash on hand in her campaign account, with $6,250 of that raised in April and May. She also has more than $230,000 in her political committee, Together We Stand.

Jeanty, meanwhile, has $2,560 on hand, with $1,905 raised in the last two months.

The Primary will close if a write-in candidate or Republican qualifies before Friday at noon; otherwise, it will be open to everyone in SD 5.