Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiMarch 7, 2018

Alvin Brown was Jacksonville Mayor in 2012, when Jordan Davis was gunned down at a gas station on the Southside. In the years since, Brown has demonstrated support and friendship to Davis’ parents, and that support was reciprocated, via an official endorsement for Congress Wednesday. Ron Davis and Lucy McBath, offered a joint statement, one that […]

Phil AmmannMarch 2, 2018

With competitive Democratic primaries, the tail end of the Legislative Session, and local City Hall intrigue, there is a lot to unpack. However, we have not arrived at the point in the narrative with a great deal of resolution. At least not yet. In a literary sense, this is known as foreshadowing. Money has not […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 28, 2018

Former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown, a Democratic candidate in Florida’s 5th Congressional District, used the anniversary of Trayvon Martin‘s murder six years ago as part of a fundraising pitch Thursday. Martin, who was gunned down in 2012 by George Zimmerman in Central Florida, was not mentioned in public remarks when Brown was Jacksonville Mayor. However, Brown’s fundraising appeal […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 23, 2018

On Wednesday, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry held a media event in which he and City Councilman Al Ferraro filled potholes in roads in a Northside industrial park. Curry wanted to focus on the hard work being done, day in and day out, by city employees to maintain public infrastructure. A laudable goal. Especially given where […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 20, 2018

The race between incumbent U.S. Rep. Al Lawson and former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown, as of this week, is focused on the issue of guns. On Monday, Brown’s team found daylight between Lawson’s post-Parkland assertion “decrying ‘the stranglehold of the gun lobby'” and taking $2,500 from the political action committee of the National Rifle Association in August 2017. […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 19, 2018

Federal holidays don’t stop the hard hits in the Democratic primary for Florida’s 5th Congressional District. On Monday, as has been the case for weeks, challenger Alvin Brown laid into Rep. Al Lawson. Then Lawson hit back. Then Brown hit back, yet again. All of this over a $2,500 donation from the gun lobby that Brown says […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 16, 2018

What’s clear: former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown has a strategy to win the Democratic primary against Rep. Al Lawson in Florida’s 5th Congressional District. Brown is running a TV ad in Tallahassee, Lawson’s home base, proclaiming Lawson to be President Donald Trump‘s “favorite Democrat.” [SEE THE AD HERE] The ad juxtaposes Trump approving of Lawson applauding him during the State of […]

Peter SchorschFebruary 16, 2018

Before we get to federal and state news, let’s take a look at local drama. In what has been the roughest week for Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, his administration pushed forth to a skeptical City Council and the querulous crowd a controversial report Wednesday urging the sale of the local public utility. The valuation study […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 12, 2018

Republican U.S. Rep. John Rutherford obviously won’t vote in the Democratic primary in Florida’s 5th Congressional District between Rep. Al Lawson and former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown. However, in comments made Monday morning, Rutherford made it clear that he would prefer Lawson retaining his seat to Brown, with whom Rutherford worked for four years in Jacksonville, capsizing the Democrat […]

Peter SchorschFebruary 9, 2018

In 2015, A.G. Gancarski coined a phrase: “Drive the narrative, or it drives you.” It came as a response to Alvin Brown’s failure to message efficiently in his mayoral election loss to current Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry. This axiom applies to politics up and down the ballot, from city council races to the presidency. Someone […]

Tag: Al Lawson

Jordan Davis’ parents back Alvin Brown for Congress

Jacksonville Bold for 3.2.18 — March Madness

Alvin Brown fundraising off of anniversary of Trayvon Martin’s murder

Jacksonville Bold for 2.23.18 — The Steamroller

On guns, Al Lawson is not an orthodox Democrat

Alvin Brown hammers Al Lawson for taking NRA ‘blood money’

Alvin Brown links Al Lawson to Donald Trump in Tallahassee ad buy

Jacksonville Bold for 2.16.18 — Power play

Why John Rutherford prefers Al Lawson to Alvin Brown

Jacksonville Bold for 2.9.18 — Drive, or be driven