A.G. Gancarski
A forum this week that included two Democrats running for the party’s nomination in House District 13 saw personal attacks and policy criticisms abound.
Rep. Angie Nixon and her challenger Brenda Priestly Jackson made the most of their limited time, with sharp attacks on each other at the Ministerial Alliance event.
Among the topics: how both would deal with the reality of Gov. Ron DeSantis in Tallahassee.
Priestly Jackson said that while the Republican chief executive was “unconscionable and unfair,” he has “veto authority” and the “role of the legislator is to advance legislation and get appropriations” all the same.
“Do I let my personal disdain for him cause HD 13 voters to suffer? You have to subvert yourself to serve,” the challenger said.
Nixon fired back, saying that a leader “cannot play respectability politics with people who not only do not like you but don’t want your communities to exist.”
“To say I don’t know my role and don’t know my place, my place ain’t in the fields. My place is helping my people get transformative change,” Nixon continued, going on to attack Priestly Jackson’s service on the Duval County School Board and saying there were still “failing schools” in her district after her tenure wrapped.
“Truth should be spoken in a house of faith and it’s not being spoken,” the challenger counted, citing her “long road of success” and work on a “majority Republican Jacksonville City Council” as evidence.
Nixon called attention to GOP support from “extremist Republicans” for her opponent, citing City Councilman Rory Diamond and lobbyist Jordan Elsbury as examples of Priestly Jackson playing “both sides.”
Priestly Jackson countered that the Jacksonville Chamber and Fraternal Order of Police are among those who back her because of her “record,” as opposed to the incumbent who chooses to “protest and posture” rather than legislate effectively.
The forum offered candidates an opportunity to participate on an even field, though there is a cash disparity between them as the campaign heads toward the final days.
Nixon appears better positioned for the stretch run in the western Duval County district, with roughly $35,000 on hand between her campaign account and her Helping Florida Families Flourish political committee.
Priestly Jackson has roughly $5,000 to spend between her campaign account and her ECO, Priestly Jackson for Neighbors.
6 comments
Hung Wiil
August 3, 2024 at 2:33 pm
What happened to Democrat separation of Church and state?
MH/Duuuval
August 3, 2024 at 6:35 pm
The event AG covers here was a public forum for candidates held in a church. Among the people attending was the Duval supervisor of elections who is sitting on the dais.
One massive breach in the wall separating church and state that MAGAs are perpetuating is best seen in the massive involvement of the Florida Catholic Church in its effort to defeat the proposed amendment in Nov. to restore the reproductive rights of women under Roe.
B Jones
August 3, 2024 at 7:06 pm
This district still reflects the old ways where churches were a powerful part of the civil rights movement and community organizing. To deny that is just rewriting history and ignorant. Stop with this maga comment nonsense like it’s some kind of wrong because you show hatred for people of faith and hatred for other people’s beliefs and opinions. People are allowed to organize in a church and churches also serve as civic spaces. They are also allowed to see things different from you. Let us mind our business. It just makes you look racist and ignorant.
MH/Duuuval
August 3, 2024 at 7:33 pm
You seem to be conflating my comments about the active engagement of the Florida Catholic Church on abortion politics and the preceding comment about separation of church and state.
And, yes, evangelical Protestants and fundamentalist Catholics are lining up with MAGA. This reflects the patriarchal element that dominated both sects.
This meeting was a public meeting and not a private event, so any public comment is not out of place.
COD
August 3, 2024 at 7:17 pm
You got major billionaires and corporations including all of Google, Microsoft, 90% of print and media press, Hollywood, all funding and propping up Harris and dem tickets across the board and that’s ok. Pro islam organizations using 501c3 and NGO status bankrolling dem candidates and that’s ok. Private foundation money and foreign money and that’s ok. But the Catholic Church has an opinion on late term abortion—which is consistent to what has always been their position—and suddenly MG declares it’s a “massive breach”. You want anyone who identifies as catholic to be disenfranchised on a completely uneven playing field. In other words everyone gets to play but Christians and Jewish people. Funny how they all used to be dems before they got booted out. Ok, comrade. Salute!
MH/Duuuval
August 3, 2024 at 7:29 pm
Here’s an outrage for you outraged MAGAs: Trump got $10 million in cash from the dictator of Egypt, whom Trump shortly afterwards called a great guy.
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