A.G. Gancarski, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiDecember 28, 2016

Subpoenas with a side of sauce. That’s one way to sum up the year. In Jacksonville politics, 2016 started with subpoenas being delivered to Rep. Corrine Brown and her clique at a barbecue place on the Northside. And it ended with a raid on Councilwoman Katrina Brown’s familial barbecue sauce plant on the Westside. Katrina […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 27, 2016

When 2016 kicked off, the world was different, and our political prognoses reflected those false assurances. We didn’t imagine President Donald Trump on a national level. We figured Hillary Clinton would end up taking on Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio in the general election. And we expected the rhetoric would sound like the previous two or three campaigns. Regarding #jaxpol, we had a pretty good […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 27, 2016

This week, Florida Politics presents a series of pieces explaining why 2016 went as it did in Jacksonville politics, while suggesting where 2017 might go. Look for the following pieces this week… “A.G. Gancarski surveys the wreckage of his 2016 predictions” does as the title suggests. The author takes an unsparing look at where his […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 23, 2016

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While Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry has not filed for re-election yet, he already has drawn a challenger for the 2019 mayoral race. Democrat Doreszell “DC” Cohen actually filed in November. An alumna of the University of Phoenix and Raines High School, Cohen has yet to raise any money for her bid against the mayor and his high-powered […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 23, 2016

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Just as a cat has multiple lives, so too does Sam Shiver, who will be employed in the 4th Circuit Public Defender’s office once Charlie Cofer takes over in January. Shiver was first introduced to Florida Politics readers in December 2015, when he confirmed that Matt Shirk would be running for re-election. Cofer told us that he had heard Shiver […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 21, 2016

Leading Jacksonville Democrat Lisa King, a state committeewoman from Duval County and former chair of the city’s Planning Commission, officially announced her candidacy for the chair of the Florida Democratic Party on Wednesday. King is positioned as a change agent in a change cycle, and sees one of her strengths as knowing how to reach the […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 21, 2016

The front entrance to Jacksonville’s City Hall is substantially renovated, and is open ahead of the anticipated January 2017 date of completion. The schedule was “purposely accelerated to have the project complete before the holidays,” even as “minor grouting and cleanup work remain.” That’s the good news. The bad news is that the project, budgeted […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 21, 2016

According to the Jacksonville City Council auditor’s report, FY 2016 was a good year for the city of Jacksonville’s budget, highlighted by a $29 million favorable variance in a $1.1 billion budget. Revenues were $15 million above budgetary expectations, and expenditures were $14 million under projections. However, underneath the rosy picture, the report spotlighted issues with pension […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 21, 2016

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The job of a big city mayor includes receiving a lot of accolades, but there is the flip side as well. That flip side: being the person who deals with the grief of a city, and the specific mourning of individuals who seek redress. One such individual — a mother who outlived her son — […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 20, 2016

On Monday, Jenna Bourne of Action News Jax revealed that Robbie Foster, communications director for 4th Circuit Public Defender Matt Shirk, “barely swipes in at work.” By “swipes in,” Bourne meant Foster using his ID badge to get in the building. And by “barely,” Bourne meant that Foster used his card to get into the building […]

A.G. Gancarski

Subpoenas with a side of sauce: The 10 biggest #JaxPol stories of 2016

A.G. Gancarski surveys the wreckage of his 2016 predictions

This week, Florida Politics takes a deep dive into Jacksonville politics

Lenny Curry draws challenger in 2019 mayoral race

Former Matt Shirk spox to find second life in Charlie Cofer’s office

Lisa King enters race for Florida Democratic Party chair

Jacksonville City Hall renovations done, but $80K over budget

FY 16 a boon for Jacksonville’s budget, but questions loom

Grieving mother: ‘Jacksonville’s Westside finally destroyed me’

Matt Shirk comms director blasts Action News Jax for ‘out-of-context attack’