Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiOctober 15, 2018

On Monday, Northside Jacksonville’s A. Philip Randolph Career Academies saw Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry receive the U.S. Ambassador from the UAE, Yousef Al-Otaiba. Money was on the line. $2.775 million, to be exact (part of a $10 million grant to be divided between several cities hit hardest by Hurricane Irma.) Indeed, portions of this grant have already been delivered […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 12, 2018

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, the best fundraiser in Northeast Florida history, delivered a statement month in September, with the second best haul of his re-election bid. The first-term Republican raised $789,500 for his political committee (Jacksonville on the Rise), and another $26,600 for his campaign account. Curry, a former chair of the state GOP, is now […]

Staff ReportsOctober 12, 2018

As poet, novelist and pop culture icon William S. Burroughs once noted: “Control needs control to control.” That observation holds in all hierarchical structures, especially politics, and particularly after voting begins. In a typically Republican area like Northeast Florida, recent history shows it’s been rare to see so many competitive races as we are seeing […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 9, 2018

With four weeks before the primary, Republican gubernatorial nominee Ron DeSantis brought on yet another seasoned hand for his campaign’s stretch run. Florida Politics learned Monday evening that operative Tim Baker joined the campaign last week in a senior leadership role, offering strategic and political guidance. Baker, one of a series of recent staff moves in DeSantis […]

Staff ReportsOctober 5, 2018

This week in City Hall, a time capsule containing artifacts from 1960 was opened. Being it’s the 50-year anniversary of Consolidation, city leaders are (understandably) in a sentimental mode. But 50 years from now? One wonders if such sentimental pulls will prevail. What kind of letters would current City Council members write to those who […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 2, 2018

Months back, a code enforcement issue became global news, when a city of Jacksonville employee cited a local business for flying military flags. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry overruled his employee. “Let them fly,” he tweeted. And so they did at the business. And now those flags will fly, permanently, at City Hall, after a ceremonial raising […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 1, 2018

Fifty years ago Monday, Jacksonville (racked by corruption and governmental inefficiency at the time) embarked on an experiment with consolidated government. Though many debate the efficacy of the model, the case for Consolidation was made (or reiterated) energetically Monday evening at the Jessie Ball DuPont Center. The Jacksonville Historical Society’s Task Force for Consolidation hosted […]

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 28, 2018

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry‘s state-level political committee (Build Something that Lasts) has benefited greatly from the generosity of the Jacksonville Jaguars and owner Shad Khan in recent years. The committee has raised $1.79 million in total. Of that sum, Khan has ponied up $175,000 and the Jaguars have ponied up another $35,000. (That isn’t all they’ve donated: […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 26, 2018

Duval County was the epicenter of some of the most savage attacks against Ron DeSantis in the Republican Gubernatorial primary. Many prominent Republicans, including U.S. Rep. John Rutherford, state Sen. Aaron Bean, state Rep. Cord Byrd, and Jacksonville City Council President Aaron Bowman, strongly backed Adam Putnam. However, the candidate who “knew Florida best” didn’t prevail. And Jacksonville area Republicans will […]

Tag: Lenny Curry

Human rights no concern as UAE cuts Jacksonville a check

Picking up the pace: Lenny Curry raises over $800K in September

Jacksonville Bold for 10.12.18 — Control needing control

Ron DeSantis campaign brings in operative Tim Baker for final stretch

Jacksonville Bold for 10.5.18 — Time in a bottle

Flag flap dispatched: Jacksonville raises military flags across from City Hall

Jacksonville commemorates Consolidation

Jacksonville Bold for 9.28.18 — A good idea?

A new accounting: Lenny Curry PAC pays Jaguars for a change

Duval Republicans to fete Ron DeSantis with Wednesday fundraiser