2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumJacksonville mayoral race draws national political interest
Jacksonville mayoral race draws national political interest
By BRENDAN FARRINGTON, AP Political Writer | May 17, 2015 | Updated: May 17, 2015 1:55pm
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) There's a reason why the Jacksonville mayoral race is drawing the attention of outsiders like former President Bill Clinton, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Gov. Jeb Bush and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and it's about more than who wins on Tuesday.
It's because the state's largest city will also be a key to winning Florida in the 2016 presidential election, and having an ally in the mayor's office can only help.
Perry, Bush and Rubio have an eye on the White House next year and each are helping former state Republican Party Chairman Lenny Curry, who's challenging incumbent Democrat Alvin Brown. Clinton, whose wife Hillary Rodham Clinton is running for president, came to Jacksonville to raise money for Brown.
"It just shows you the stakes that the state Republican Party believes are here," said Matthew Corrigan, a University of North Florida political science professor. "Rick Perry and Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush this is looking like a Republican operation not a Jacksonville mayor's race."
More:
http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Jacksonville-mayoral-race-draws-national-6269011.php
Wabbajack_
(1,300 posts)Sigh
Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)It's a myth that needs to be put to bed once and for all.
DFW
(54,268 posts)That's another myth that needs to be put to bed once and for all.
Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)according to my count, he has many more losses than victories when it comes to helping Democrats win these critical elections.
Of course I know that he can't sway elections. However, the Establishment continues to send him across the country, so they must think that he has some influence, else they wouldn't continue to do so.
DFW
(54,268 posts)Just talk to Howard or Jim Dean at DFA (and you can, if you really want to--Jim Dean will take the time to talk if he's around and free, though Howard is never around and is never free).
These elections are never swayed by some single event that was covered on the evening news for 20 seconds. They are won by the ground game that was started long before the election--and, indeed just as surely lost by the lack of one. DFA doesn't have the resources to be everywhere. If they did, we'd be winning way more local elections like these. They get a huge share of my yearly contributions for just this reason.