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Staff ReportsSeptember 28, 2018

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Five decades ago, Jacksonville consolidated city and county services. For 50 years since people have been arguing about whether it was a good idea. We saw it last week: a mayoral forum involving Mayor Lenny Curry and his five living predecessors (look for the replay Sunday on This Week in Jacksonville). Curry, seeking re-election, sounded […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 24, 2018

Some NCAA men’s basketball programs are infamous for their “one and done” players, “diaper dandies” who spend a year in a collegiate apprenticeship before moving to the NBA. New legislation from U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, a former college baller who spent some time in the pros and coaching ranks, would change that. HR 6749 would eliminate the […]

Staff ReportsSeptember 21, 2018

Inside seven weeks until Election Day, and it’s just a few weeks from the start of vote by mail. What that means: It’s getting late. It’s getting late for statewide candidates who come to Jacksonville and try to define themselves, struggling for attention from an indifferent media. And time is short for some candidates who […]

Staff ReportsSeptember 14, 2018

The primaries are now well behind us. The parties have unified. Ops for losing candidates have moved into other campaigns (or endeavors). If you pay attention, there is — at times — a crispness in the morning air. And while that coolness may be fleeting, it’s an augury of the inevitable march of time. The […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 28, 2018

U.S. Rep. Al Lawson won the Democratic primary Tuesday for Florida’s 5th Congressional District. Lawson held off former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown’s challenge in Duval, only losing there by roughly 20 points, while racking up prohibitively strong margins out west. Lawson won all seven other counties in the district. Lawson won in total 60 percent to […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 28, 2018

Mercifully, primary Election Day is upon us in Northeast Florida, the culmination of months of spirited campaigning, big time spending, and the occasional calumny or two. And now that it’s finally Tuesday, we will see the resolution of a number of narratives that have percolated for these many months. Moving from the top of the […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 26, 2018

Months back, former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown launched a Democratic primary challenge to U.S. Rep. Al Lawson. The idea was to take back a “Jacksonville seat” from the Tallahassee Democrat — U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown lost to Lawson, months before an even more catastrophic loss (numerous guilty verdicts in a federal fraud trial). The laconic Lawson was blunt […]

Staff ReportsAugust 24, 2018

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” Those of a certain age will recall the Semisonic earworm “Closing Time.” It is also where we stand in primary season. We already know what races we are tracking election night. In some, there is enough confidence in the results to have a sense of what […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 23, 2018

A new poll from the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab asserts that U.S. Rep. Al Lawson of Florida’s 5th Congressional District is headed toward a blowout win over Democratic primary challenger Alvin Brown. The UNF survey of 402 likely Democratic primary voters shows Lawson has the support of 48 percent with just 29 percent backing […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 22, 2018

Heading into the weekend, Alvin Brown touted endorsements from Jacksonville preachers: “more than 30 faith leaders representing a large swath of the local faith community.” This week, three of those preachers have walked their endorsements back for logistical reasons, saying that the listing of their churches in the endorsement emails compromised their organizations’ nonprofit status. The […]

Tag: Al Lawson

Jacksonville Bold for 9.28.18 — A good idea?

Al Lawson bill would eliminate NCAA ‘one-and-done’ rule

Jacksonville Bold for 9.21.18 — It’s getting late

Jacksonville Bold for 9.14.18 — Time marches on

Al Lawson downs Alvin Brown in Democratic primary

Northeast Florida primary narratives poised for resolution

Down 20 points in polls, Alvin Brown rallies his Jacksonville base

Jacksonville Bold for 8.24.18 — Closing time

Latest poll shows Al Lawson obliterating Alvin Brown in CD 5 primary

Jacksonville preachers walk back Alvin Brown congressional endorsements