Jacksonville Bold for 7.24.24: School daze

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Gov. Ron DeSantis is again endorsing Duval County School Board candidates this year, expecting them to “serve with a focus on student success, parental rights and curriculum transparency.”

Tony Ricardo, Becky Nathanson, and Melody Bolduc are all favored by the Governor, who endorsed two candidates in 2022.

Ricardo, running in District 1, is up against Nadine Ebri, backed by Democrats, including Sen. Tracie Davis. As of this writing, Ebri has the fundraising advantage.

Nathanson of District 3 is running against incumbent Cindy Pearson and has the financial advantage thus far. DeSantis announced plans to target Pearson’s seat last year.

Bolduc is up against Sarah Mannion, and she holds the fundraising pole position in District 7.

Ricardo’s campaign highlighted the endorsement in a news release.

“Tony is a candidate who is committed to fighting for schools to get back to the fundamentals. Tony has pledged to serve on the School Board with a focus on student success, parental rights and curriculum transparency. We want the best for our children, and I’m confident Tony will build upon the success we’ve had here in Florida,” DeSantis said.

“It is an honor to have the endorsement of Gov. Ron DeSantis in my race for Duval County School Board,” said Ricardo. “Under his leadership, Florida has made incredible strides to make our state the best place for families and their students to pursue an education that is best suited to their individual needs and free from woke rhetoric. On the School Board, I look forward to putting our Duval County students first and supporting the Governor’s work to keep Florida the #1 state in education.”

In 2022, the Governor was two for two in his local School Board plays.

He backed Charlotte Joyce’s re-election in what was then a Westside district and April Carney’s successful campaign against then-incumbent Elizabeth Anderson.

Even now, the Board has a conservative majority and voice, as evidenced most recently by the selection of Christopher Bernier, an ally of state Education Secretary Manny Diaz Jr., as Superintendent.

Al in

Kamala Harris isn’t the only Democrat getting high-profile endorsements this week.

On Monday, the Debbie Mucarsel-Powell campaign for the U.S. Senate rolled out one from the Dean of Democratic politics in North Florida – former U.S. Rep. Al Lawson.

“I am proud to endorse my former colleague, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, for the United States Senate. During our time serving together in Congress, I witnessed firsthand Debbie’s unwavering commitment to her constituents and her relentless dedication to the ideals we all hold dear as Americans,” said Lawson.

The three-term Democrat from the Tallahassee area (who represented Jacksonville from 2017 through 2023) put the Senate campaign in the larger context of the national moment and Democratic messaging.

“The stakes in this election couldn’t be higher,” Lawson added. “We face a pivotal moment in our nation’s history, and we need leaders who will fiercely defend democracy and protect the rights of all Americans. Sadly, our current Senator, Rick Scott, has aligned himself with the extreme MAGA agenda, posing a dangerous threat to our American values. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is the leader we need in the U.S. Senate to safeguard our freedoms and uphold the principles that make America truly great.”

Bet on vets

Speaking of Scott and American values, the Senator was in Jacksonville Tuesday, highlighting support from those who arguably embody those values the most, as the campaign notes.

“Scott was joined by Florida veterans at Four Fathers Distillery in Jacksonville for a news conference highlighting the ‘Veterans for Rick Scott’ coalition.”

The coalition comprises more than 250 veterans across Florida who support Scott for re-election.

“These veterans know that Sen. Scott will always fight for Florida’s military members, veterans and their families, and will never stop working to ensure Florida remains the most military and veteran-friendly state in the country.”

Among those on hand: Jacksonville City Council member Raul Arias

Bean boom

Fundraising numbers suggest little drama in the 2024 rematch between Rep. Aaron Bean and Democrat L.J. Holloway in Florida’s 4th Congressional District.

As of the end of June, Bean reported having nearly $730,000 on hand out of $1.232 million raised this cycle.

At this writing, the Federal Elections Commission had not processed itemized transactions for Q2. Still, Bean – whose strong fundraising propelled him to an easy win in his Primary two years ago before another convincing win in what was at the time a new Congressional District – clearly hasn’t lost momentum now that he’s entrenched in Tallahassee.

Holloway has north of $23,000 on hand, but her committee has $10,000 in debts, offsetting that number.

Liking Leek

Florida’s junior Senator threw his support to Rep. Tom Leek’s Senate District 7 bid at Sunday night’s Volusia County Republican Party Lincoln Dinner.

“Leek has demonstrated strong conservative leadership through his service in the Florida House,” Scott said. “I am pleased to endorse his candidacy and support his campaign as he seeks to continue his work in the Florida Senate.”

Ormond Beach’s Leek, coming off a stint as House Approps Chair, has gained widespread establishment support as he runs in a three-way Republican Primary against former professional wrestler Gerry James and lawyer David Shoar, two candidates from St. Johns County. Shoar is best known as the former SJC Sheriff.

The winner of this GOP Primary will face Democrat George Anthony “T” Hill II in the General Election.

Save the date

Gun show

The National Rifle Association’s (NRA) political arm fired off a Leek endorsement in the Senate District 7 Republican Primary.

The NRA Political Victory Fund issued its scorecard and several endorsements for the upcoming Aug. 20 Primaries. Grades were based on voting records and candidates’ stated positions, and the group marked endorsed candidates for legislative races at the federal and state levels.

“I will always defend the Second Amendment, and I’m honored to have the recognition and endorsement of the NRA-PVF in our Republican Primary for the state Senate,” Leek said.

The NRA-PVF graded Leek with an “A,” meaning he is a “solidly pro-gun candidate” who has “supported NRA positions on key votes in elective office or a candidate with a demonstrated record of support on Second Amendment issues.”

Of note, the organization issued a grade of “AQ” to Shoar, meaning it considers him a “pro-gun candidate” based solely on responses to an official questionnaire, though Shoar has no voting record to back that up. Shoar previously held an elected post but an administrative one as a Sheriff.

James did not fill out a questionnaire.

The NRA-PVF also endorsed Sam Greco in his HD 19 race. It did not endorse in the Nick Primrose-Kim Kendall race for HD 18, nor were any offered locally in the Democratic primaries for state House and Senate.

Immigrant song

Speaking of Greco, he is rolling out a new ad for his campaign to succeed House Speaker Paul Renner in House District 19.

The 30-second spot opens with a clip of DeSantis saying, in reference to undocumented immigrants, “70% of the people they have interdicted said their ultimate destination is the state of Florida.”

Greco takes over from there: “With that, crime and drugs flow into Florida.” President Joe Biden ended his presidential campaign between the ad’s filming and air date, but Greco bashes him for doing “nothing” to ameliorate immigration issues.

“I joined the Navy to serve America, and I’m running for office to help save it. Let’s close the border, back the blue and eradicate fentanyl from our streets,” Greco says. “President Trump and Gov. DeSantis need a fighter who has their back. That’s exactly what I’ll do.”

The campaign said the ad will air on cable, broadcast, and digital as part of a five-figure, district-wide buy.

A former JAG officer and current Navy reservist, Greco is the leading Republican candidate in HD 19, encompassing all of Flagler and a portion of St. Johns. He holds endorsements from Renner, Speaker Pro Tempore Chuck Clemons, Reps. Wyman Duggan, Bobby Payne and Cyndi Stevenson.

Other endorsements include state Attorney R.J. Larizza and two significant police associations.

Greco faces Darryl Boyer in the Aug. 20 Primary. As of July 12, Greco held a six-figure fundraising advantage, with approximately $190,000 raised to Boyer’s $70,000. Those totals include $20,000 in candidate loans for Greco and $10,000 for Boyer.

HD 19’s partisan lean virtually ensures the Republican nominee succeeds Renner. Two years ago, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and Gov. Ron DeSantis each carried the district with three-quarters of the vote. Still, the GOP standard-bearer will face nominal opposition from Democratic nominee Adam Morley in November.

To watch the ad, please click the image below:

 

Hey, big spender

Rep. Angie Nixon is programming her money ahead of the August Primary against Democratic challenger Brenda Priestly Jackson in HD 13. Between June 15 and July 12, she spent nearly $50,000, leaving her with roughly $15,000 on hand.

Of that money, $25,000 went to Riverside’s Smartz Consulting for mail, $5,611 went to Iowa’s “Victory Store” for yard signs, and $5,300 went to Step To Success for comms and field counseling. Individual workers and other smaller vendors also got paid.

Nixon also has over $25,000 to spend on her Helping Florida Families Flourish political committee.

Priestly Jackson has yet to get fundraising traction, raising just $1,725 between June 15 and July 12. Former state Sen. Audrey Gibson and Jacksonville City Councilors Reggie Gaffney, Jr. and JuCoby Pittman were among the donors. The challenger has less than $5,000 on hand, including $5 in her Priestly Jackson for Neighbors ECO.

Money from where?

HD 14 Democratic candidate Therese Wakefield-Gamble continues raising money from everywhere but her own district.

Of the $4,131 she raised during the most recent two-week reporting period, none came from Jacksonville, though one donation came from Atlantic Beach.

She did have six donations from New York City and two from Lexington, Kentucky.

But it’s difficult to imagine why these donors would care about a Democratic seat in the Florida House.

She has roughly $4,000 on hand for the battle against Rep. Kim Daniels, who has roughly $15,000 on hand. A third candidate, Lloyd Caulker, has not reported any campaign finance activity.

Homeless help

Florida is set to require local governments to implement plans to prevent the unhoused from sleeping in public spaces. On Monday, Jacksonville rolled out its approach to achieve “functional zero.”

“This means that the number of people entering homelessness is equal to the number of people finding permanent housing. It also means turning homelessness into a rare, brief, one-time occurrence in a person’s life,” said Mayor Donna Deegan Monday.

Deegan announced that Dr. Tracye Polson, the Director of Strategic Partnerships in the Mayor’s Office, will be the point person for this initiative, which will cost $13.64 million in its first year ($10 million from public funds in the city’s proposed $1.92 billion budget, and the remainder sought from the private sector).

The plan will incorporate recommendations from a work group tasked with this issue by the Mayor’s Office.

“Homeless outreach teams” will be deployed countywide to address the needs of this population, including connecting them with shelters. Shelters will be compelled to develop a “24/7” intake policy to comply with state law’s requirements.

More shelter beds are also sought to help the increased number of homeless women and people of both genders aged 55 and up. Additionally, the administration aims to ensure that agencies throughout the city understand homeless intake and how to handle it.

Hotels will also be part of the solution, with 100 rooms secured to house two people simultaneously. The plan envisions a “ModPod” container solution, which could provide shelter to an additional 100 people near the Urban Rest Stop.

Permanent Supportive Housing programs are also slated for expansion.

Also, the “Homeward Bound” program will be expanded to return unhoused people from elsewhere to where they lived more successfully, thus allowing Jacksonville to focus on alleviating homelessness for more permanent residents.

HB 1365, the state law the city is responding to, bans counties and municipalities from permitting public sleeping or public camping on public property without explicit permission. The bill language deems this move to fulfill an “important state interest,” with what House sponsor Rep. Sam Garrison has called a “Florida model” for handling the issue.

Getting closer

Republicans are getting closer to achieving voter registration parity with Democrats in Duval County.

That’s what data from the Supervisor of Elections office reveals.

While there are well over 239,500 Democrats, Republicans are quickly approaching 229,000 registrants.

President Joe Biden carried Duval County in 2020, but the GOP wants to flip the county in 2024 with VP Kamala Harris being the likely opponent.

“Duval is trending to where I think we’re going to be able to hopefully take that over,” said Gov. DeSantis to Florida Republicans last week in Milwaukee.

Go West

Jacksonville Republicans are importing star power for a “Faith, Family and Freedom Forum” event powered by the “American Constitutional Rights Union Action Fund” on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Epping Forest Yacht Club.

Former congressional candidate Allen West will join former Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, Jacksonville City Council member Terrance Freeman, and the Coalition of Black Republican Americans (COBRA) President Shamari Lewis.

“Come together with like-minded individuals to celebrate and discuss the core values that shape our nation. This inspiring event will feature thought-provoking discussions on faith, the importance of family, and the principles of freedom that make our country great,” the Duval GOP claims in a social media promotion of the event.

Interested? RSVP here. Admission is $60 per person.

Dean scene

A new academic dean is swooping into the University of North Florida.

Steve Dittmore is helming the College of Education and Human Services (COEHS). He started Monday.

“Steve brings a wealth of diverse experience and expertise to this role,” said UNF president Dr. Moez Limayem. “His extensive experience in higher education administration at Arkansas, a leading research institution, will benefit UNF as we look to grow our research initiatives and become a destination of choice for students and faculty.”

“We are all delighted to welcome Steve to Jacksonville and to UNF,” said Dr. Karen Patterson, provost and vice president of Academic and Student Affairs. “He understands the mission and goals of the University and particularly of the College of Education and Human Services. We look forward to great things from the students, faculty and staff of the College and its programs under his leadership.”

Dittmore held a similar role at Baldwin-Wallace College of Berea, Ohio, where he led the College of Education and Health Sciences while also serving as a professor.

Wildlight shines bright

More development is coming to Nassau County’s Wildlight.

According to the Jacksonville Daily Record, the master-planned community will see what is to be called Westerly Park on the westernmost part of the property. It will include an amenity center for Wildlight.

Expect the new build to open by 2026.

“By teaming up with David Weekley Homes and Pulte Homes, we’re blending exceptional home offerings with top-tier amenities,” said Wes Hinton, vice president of Wildlight, in a statement quoted by the Record.

Middle of the road?

With the Jaguars’ training camp kicking off this week, it is the perfect time to see what the folks with the best gauge on public expectations think of Jacksonville’s chances to return to the playoffs. Yes, the oddsmakers.

The consensus among the oddsmakers is that the Jaguars’ over/under for wins is 8.5. That means the oddsmakers have little expectation that the Jaguars will improve from last year’s 9-8 record. The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts are better regarded in the AFC South.

ESPN Bet likes the Jaguars over the Colts but has the Texans as division champions and the only team in the AFC South to make the playoffs.

It is common for national pundits to predict less impressive seasons than local media in most markets, Jacksonville included. However, for the oddsmakers, the point is to gauge public perception among the betting public. That includes mostly fans who are not predisposed to the Jaguars’ success.

So, what are we to take from this? Three big things:

– The impact of recency bias. The Jaguars’ poor finish to the 2023 season when they lost five of their last six games and went from having the inside track for home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs to missing the postseason altogether. Instead of leaving a tantalizing taste in the mouths of NFL fans as they did the season prior, when they won a playoff game, then gave the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs all they could handle.

– Questions about Trevor Lawrence remain. Most folks around the Jaguars believe that Lawrence will rebound and show that he is more the quarterback from the end of 2022 and early 2023 than he is the injury-plagued signal caller from the second half of the 2023 season. But there is no guarantee. Even with Lawrence’s lofty draft status and his mammoth new contract, he hasn’t gained enough credibility among NFL fans (and bettors) to earn a pass. Some of that can be attributed to his disastrous first season under Urban Meyer. A wise gambler may be able to see through the public perception, but that’s not what the oddsmakers are trying to leverage. They are trying to find a number that will entice as many dollars to be bet on either side.

– The Jaguars’ offseason moves didn’t move the needle. Free-agent additions of Arik Armstead, Gabe Davis, Mitch Morse and Ronald Darby, among others, may be essential additions to the team. However, none of the moves were splashy free-agent additions. While Morse and Armstead, in particular, may shore up areas of weakness for the Jaguars, the mass of NFL fans don’t seem to think it will make a difference – or so oddsmakers believe.

Ultimately, it won’t matter what bookmakers think once the games begin. Most local prognosticators have the Jaguars at 10 or 11 wins. Who will be right? Just remember, they didn’t build those tall buildings in the desert by being wrong.