Write-in closes Tracie Davis’ Primary in SD 5

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 1/4/23-Sen. Tracie Davis, D-Jacksonville, during the Senate Select Committee on Resiliency, Wednesday at the Capitol in Tallahassee. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

Republicans and independents with an interest in voting in the Democratic Primary in Jacksonville’s Senate District 5 ended up disappointed, with a write-in candidate closing the August ballot.

Vernon Lee Jordan of Jacksonville is in the race, and we don’t know much about him. He was not available to discuss his bid for office when we called him shortly after he qualified.

More imminently, Sen. Tracie Davis will face 40-year-old Francky Jeanty in August.

The political newcomer is a graduate of Edward Waters University (EWU), 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.

Regarding the last-minute write-in opponent, Davis didn’t know who he was when we asked her Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, write-ins have already closed Duval’s other two Democratic Primaries in House District 13 and House District 14.