Jacksonville Bold for 8.7.24: Congress cash

Downtown Jacksonville.

In the fundraising race, local Republican incumbents are comfortably ahead of their challengers.

While that may have been as predictable as rain in the forecast this week amid Hurricane Debby’s slog up the peninsula, it’s still worthy of note.

Rep. John Rutherford isn’t spending heavily in his re-election campaign, including an August Primary against repeat opponent Mara Macie.

As of the end of July, the CD 5 incumbent had $475,000 on hand, according to his latest filing with the Federal Elections Commission.

Macie’s July numbers aren’t in, but she is running a grassroots campaign and has over $22,000 on hand. The St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee has also endorsed her.

The Primary winner will face a Democrat and a write-in in November.

Democrat Jay McGovern had no Primary opposition and will advance to November. As June closed, he had nearly $15,000 on hand. His July numbers weren’t in at the time of this writing.

Meanwhile, Rep. Aaron Bean lacks a Primary challenger and is similarly well-positioned against Democrat LJ Holloway, with numbers in for both through June 30.

Bean has nearly $730,000 on hand; Holloway has just over $23,000.

They’ve faced off before, but if money and party registration mean anything in CD 4, Bean likely will get two more years in D.C.

Looking to the southwest, Kat Cammack is similarly well-positioned in CD 3, with more than $715,000, up against primary opponent Alec Stevens and his less than $3,000.

Don’t spend that all in one place, Alec.

Democratic nominee Tom Wells has $526 on hand, which may be enough to keep the lights on for a month or two if he doesn’t use air conditioning in his campaign HQ.

Save the date

Lucky 13?

A forum this month 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 challenger Brenda Priestly Jackson made the most of their limited time by sharply criticizing each other at the Ministerial Alliance event.

Among the topics discussed is 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 had “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, attacking 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 Council member 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 in an even field, though there was a cash disparity between them as the campaign headed toward the final days.

Nixon appears better positioned for the stretch run in the western Duval County district, with roughly $35,000 between her campaign account and the 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.

Viva la resistance

Speaking of Nixon, local writer Tim Gilmore visited her new NW Jax bookstore this week.

“There’s no other bookstore in an eight-mile radius,” Nixon said. There’s no coffee shop in a five- or six-mile radius. This is a community space, a gathering space, a place to be real and learn new things.”

Indeed, as Gilmore notes, it’s not just books on offer.

“At Café Resistance, you can pick up free contraceptives, including Plan-B, or a pregnancy test. You can buy a bottle of Popz’ Sweet & Hot Datil Pepper Sauce from the garden and kitchen of actor, writer and professor Noble Lee Lester. You might even grab a selfie in the wicker throne in front of the black, red and green Café Resistance banner with its instructions to ‘Dream, Resist, Flourish.’”

Good cops

A community survey released this week by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office shows that citizens are mostly satisfied with law enforcement.

Locals “believe JSO is handling its job well (68%), they feel safe in their neighborhood (89%), the areas of town they frequent (81%) and think, overall, Jacksonville is a safe place to live (68%). A majority believes JSO is responsible with taxpayer money (52%), that JSO needs more officers to meet the city’s needs (50%), and that more funding is needed (62%),” per the phone poll of 600 people conducted in May across all areas of the city.

What are the biggest concerns people have in terms of local crimes? Gun violence and illegal drug use, at 37% and 17%, respectively.

However, 89% of respondents feel safe in their own neighborhoods, a metric that challenges the media perception of Jacksonville as unduly riddled with violent and dangerous areas. 68% think the city is safe overall.

Likewise, 68% of locals think JSO is doing a good job, with 20% believing the contrary. That +48 overall number is up 22 points from 2022.

A majority of respondents think JSO does a good job policing itself by handling police-involved shootings and internal investigations. However, they also believe JSO needs more resources.

Meanwhile, people don’t worry cops will beat them up. When asked whether “being the victim of police brutality” was something they worried about, by a margin of 65-30%, citizens disagree with this because a large majority don’t fear being the victim of police brutality.”

Cancer free

Jacksonville City Council member Terrance Freeman is free from prostate cancer, and he’s devoting time going forward to increasing awareness of the problem.

″No one has to die from prostate cancer. If you catch it early, is 97% curable,” Freeman told WJXT. “So, we need to do a better job, we can do a better job of getting the word out.”

He says his gender also needs to do a better job of being honest about wealth issues.

“I think, as men in general, we kind of measure our health by how we look in the mirror. I often say women have it figured out,” Freeman said. “I mean, we have a month where it’s buddy check, and we have open dialogue. But with men, there’s a stigma that there’s a sign of weakness if you’re facing some type of medical condition. I really want to try to help break that wall down.”

Board battle

School board elections are coming to St. Johns County this month, and a forum this week offers an opportunity for interested locals to get some info.

The League of Women Voters of Jacksonville First Coast (LWVJFC) and the American Association of University Women – St. Augustine, FL Branch (AAUW) will host the St. Johns County School Board Candidate Forum Thursday at the St. Augustine Main Library (1960 Ponce De Leon, St. Augustine) Aug. 8, 2024.

District 2 candidates will have the floor from 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., then District 5 candidates from 5:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Lanelle Phillmon, LWVJFC president, said that “voters often don’t realize that local elections get decided in the Primary Election.”

“This is especially true in the St. Johns School Board race for District 2, where only two candidates are running,” Philemon added. The candidate who wins the Primary will become the District 2 representative on the School Board.”

Cathie Altman, President of the AAUW, said her organization “is proud to co-sponsor this event as we support an informed electorate so that voters can make an educated choice when they cast their ballot.”

Bye bye

Turmoil continues at the Jacksonville Housing Authority, with its interim leader stepping down before Labor Day.

Action News Jax first reported it.

Vanessa Dunn is out as of Aug. 30 after signing a one-year deal in February. She says she has “an amazing opportunity that (she) can’t pass up and (is) looking forward to starting a new chapter.”

“While there has been an unusual amount of transition among staff leadership over the past year, the organization remains on the right path as we continue to focus on our core mission of providing safe, clean and affordable housing to those Jacksonville residents in need,” commented JHA Chair Heather Horovitz in a statement.

Builder of the year

Congrats to former Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA) President Michael Bourré, who was named Builder of the Year by the Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA).

“Michael has dedicated a significant amount of his time to bettering the Florida building industry through his service in our association,” said Rusty Payton, FHBA CEO. “In 2011, he served as President of the Northeast Florida Builders Association, served as Chair of the FHBA Government Affairs Committee in 2016, and ultimately led the direction of the FHBA as President of our 8,000-member organization during the tumultuous year of 2020. He has worked diligently for nearly a decade to enhance the Florida Building Code to protect the health, safety, and welfare of all Floridians.”

Bourré will be awarded at the upcoming FHBA Fall Conference in October 2024.

Jaguars open preseason

The Jaguars open the 2024 preseason Saturday against the defending two-time Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs (7 p.m. ET, CBS 47 and NFL Network).

Don’t expect to see a Trevor Lawrence versus Patrick Mahomes duel, at least not for long.

Jaguars’ head coach Doug Pederson said this week that he will continue his usual approach with the first preseason game and limit the number of snaps the expected starters will play.

“I usually play the starters a series or two and then get them out,” Pederson said. “And from there, we want to look at everybody. You have three quarters to see what you have there. You want to give everyone a chance to play.”

The Jaguars are also dealing with injuries on the offensive line. Left tackle Cam Robinson (shoulder), right tackle Anton Harrison (concussion protocol) and left guard Ezra Cleveland (heel) have all missed time in camp. It’s likely that none of those three will play Saturday, although Pederson said he hoped to see Harrison return to the practice field Wednesday. Pederson knows the first preseason game is no time to be overly aggressive with player usage.

“These first couple of games, we get to control what we do offensively. You want to see execution and see the guys play hard,” Pederson said.

If those starting offensive linemen do not play, veteran players like Walker Little, Tyler Shatley, and Cole Van Lanen can get some playing time. As the Jaguars learned last season, there is no such thing as too much quality depth on the offensive line.

What else to watch for:

Can the Jaguars’ defense continue to shine under the new coordinator, Ryan Nielsen?

The Jaguars’ defense, in particular the secondary, has been the standout unit in the first stage of training camp. With Nielsen’s aggressive approach, the Jaguars’ cornerbacks have been playing tighter coverage, creating problems for the offense. Will that translate to the field? Once Mahomes leaves the field, expect veteran Carson Wentz, a former quarterback for Pederson in Philadelphia, to get some reps. That should offer a good gauge of the Jacksonville defense.

Will rookies like Brian Thomas Jr. shine?

The Jaguars’ first-round pick has produced some moments during camp. Now, he’ll get the chance to showcase his skills against an opponent. It’s likely that most of his playing time will come with Mac Jones at quarterback since Lawrence isn’t expected to play many snaps. Be on the lookout for Thomas to show his deep speed at least once in the game.

How will the Jaguars handle the new kickoff rule?

The NFL changed the kickoff rules in an effort to improve player safety. While the ball will still be kicked off from the 35-yard line, the other 10 players on the kicking team will line up on the opponent’s 40-yard line. The 10 kicking team players can only move when the ball hits the ground, or a player is inside the 20-yard line or the end zone. This will cause a new set of coverage tactics to be enacted around the league. We will first see the Jaguars’ and Chiefs’ approaches Saturday.

The Jaguars’ next preseason game is Saturday, Aug. 17, at 7:30 p.m. against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team’s final preseason game is Friday, Aug. 23, in Atlanta against the Falcons.