Northeast Florida LGBT Leadership PAC will endorse candidates tomorrow

LGBT issues have been front and center in Jacksonville’s political discussions the last few years. But until now there has not been a local Political Action Committee that specifically addresses that community’s political needs. That changes today, as the Northeast Florida LGBT Leadership PAC has formed, with intentions to endorse Mayoral and City Council candidates tomorrow afternoon.

“After much deliberation and research, we have selected the candidates we will be supporting. Each of these candidates has demonstrated the commitment to equality that we want to see from our elected officials,” stated PAC Chair Carrington “Rusty” Mead, in the press release. “It is up to us in the LGBT community to stand up and take an active role in electing candidates who share our values. And that will mean knocking on doors, making calls, and financially supporting those committed to the cause of equality.”

The Northeast Florida LGBT Leadership PAC describes itself as “a political committee formed by local LGBT leaders in the fight for equality in Northeast Florida. The PAC is an organization with one purpose: to identify and elect candidates that will support equality by adding ‘sexual orientation, gender identity and expression’ to Jacksonville’s Human Rights Ordinances. The efforts will include direct financial support, grassroots organizing, and a dedicated Get Out the Vote program that will demonstrate the impact of the LGBT and straight ally constituency in Jacksonville.”

“If the LGBT community learned anything during the push to pass the amended human rights ordinance three years ago, it was that we must participate in the political process and work to elect candidates for City Council and Mayor who are qualified and accountable to serve the whole community, including those of us who are LGBT,” said PAC Vice Chair Jimmy Midyette, a veteran of the of the 2012 HRO campaign.

Current estimates are that there are 32,000 LGBT voters on Jacksonville voter rolls, which gives activists hope that that bloc would constitute a critical mass were they mobilized to vote in favor of candidates in favor of expanding the HRO. The recent controversy swirling around Duval County Clerk of Court Ronnie Fussell‘s suspension of the longstanding practice of courthouse weddings exemplifies another issue that may well galvanize LGBT voters into a bloc with the potential to swing some elections.

An interesting question that voters might have relative to this PAC: which party might their endorsements favor? Both support and opposition to LGBT community concerns transcends party lines.

Maverick Republican Mayoral Candidate Bill Bishop has taken the most vocal pro-HRO stand of any candidate in the race. His primary opponents, Mayor Alvin Brown and Lenny Curry, have taken more muted positions on these issues. Meanwhile, longshot NPA candidate Omega Allen, on a rare media appearance today on WJCT FM’s First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross, apparently said that “homosexuality is a choice” — a statement that led to Midyette tweeting: “Ironically, I suspect the comments of Ms. Allen reflect the actual beliefs of the current Mayor. She is more forthright than him.”

City Council races, likewise, have a more complicated dynamic than party label suggests, with many Republicans supporting the expansion of the HRO or similar anti-discrimination legislation, while certain Democrats harbor opposition.

The LGBT Leadership PAC will endorse candidates tomorrow afternoon at 4PM, on the steps of City Hall in Jacksonville.