Scott Fortune: An Underdog to Watch

Congressional candidate Scott Fortune was very gracious on Wednesday when asked about comments from Duval County Democratic Chairman Travis Bridges saying he did not know much about him.

Im not offended, said Fortune. I am a newcomer.

Fortune, an attorney based in Duval County specializing in employment and discrimination cases, is making an underdog challenge in the Democratic primary to knock off veteran incumbent Congresswoman Corrine Brown.

Brown represents Floridas 3rd Congressional District which sprawls across north Florida through 9 counties, from Jacksonville all the way down to Orlando. As of the last federal census in 2000, the district had less than 40 percent whites and almost 50 percent African-Americans.

Its the poorest district in the state of Florida, said Fortune.

Fortune has made Browns opposition to two constitutional amendments on the November ballot proposed by Fair Districts Florida changing the way the Legislature can redistrict at the state and congressional levels one of the centerpieces of his campaign.

Segregating people is not a good way to help people, said Fortune who believes Brown opposes the Fair Districts measures for her own benefit. Thats not in the best interest of the constituents.

Fortune is taking Brown on for other reasons as well, saying that the incumbent has done little for the residents of the district.

Corrine Brown has not enacted a single piece of significant legislation, said Fortune who added that most of the bills she introduced concerned naming buildings.

Corrine Brown does bring big pots of money to significant people in Jacksonville, he said. The people of the Third District are entitled to much more than that.

Fortune also invoked national politics, expressing his admiration for President Barack Obama who Brown opposed in the presidential primaries. Fortune said that while Brown may have voted for Obamas healthcare reform and economic measures, she did not articulate these issues to Floridians.

Barack Obama is the new era and Corrine Brown is the old way of things, said Fortune.

Fortune is optimistic about his campaigns chances and is assembling a website and a campaign team. He has already started fundraising and, while he says he may not match the amount in Browns warchest, he will raise enough to be competitive.

If Fortune can raise some money, hell be an underdog to knock off the incumbent. But he will offer Brown her biggest fight since Republican Jennifer Carroll in 2002. While most of the challengers looking to knock off incumbents in congressional primaries can be ignored or written off, Fortune may be taking Brown on at the right time with the right issue with the incumbent clearly at odds with most Florida Democrats on redistricting.

Keep Fortune on your radar screen. He may be one to watch.