Being mayor of Jacksonville hasnt exactly been the best of launching pads for higher political aspirations, but this time around the stakes are far higher and political observers across the state are taking notes about the upcoming election.
Certainly there have been a few Jacksonville mayors who went on to bigger -- if not always better -- things. John Martin and Haydon Burns went from being mayor of Jacksonville to the governors mansion and both failed in their attempts at political comebacks after their time in Tallahassee. Duncan Fletcher served two stints as mayor, leading the city after the Great Fire of 1901, and went on to the Legislature before becoming Floridas longest serving U.S. senator.
However, most Jacksonville mayors go nowhere politically once they leave office. They end up running unsuccessfully for their old job the way Tommy Hazouri and Jake Godbold have done in recent years or fail when they seek higher office like Hans Tanzler did when he ran for governor back in 1978. While his name has gotten some play as a possible candidate for higher office, John Delaney seems content at the University of North Florida (UNF) while John Peyton is happy running the family business, Gate Petroleum.
But the two leading candidates in the 2015 mayoral elections bear watching. Mayor Alvin Brown made history in 2011 as the first African-American to claim the job and the first Democrat to win a mayoral election since Ed Austin in 1991. Brown won-over much of the business community and moderate Republicans when he beat former state Rep. Mike Hogan back in 2011 and he has kept much of that support. With a thin bench in Florida, Democrats are keeping their eyes on Brown as a future candidate. Hes already proven he can win in a traditionally Republican area.
Lenny Curry, the former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF), is Browns main rival in the March 24 election. If no candidate musters 50 percent, the top two candidates will meet in a runoff on May 19. Based on the polls, Brown and Curry will be headed to the May runoff.
Curry is playing up his business credentials but he is also bringing in the endorsements of major Republicans like former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and former Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas. With his background in state politics, Curry has access to far greater resources than most first-time candidates, leaving fellow Republican Jacksonville City Councilman Bill Bishop as something of an afterthought in the race. Currys ties to Tallahassee and to the GOP across the state also ensure Republicans are watching closely to see if their partys already crowded bench will expand in the weeks to come.
Whoever wins, the results of the mayoral race will extend beyond Jacksonville. Expect both Brown and Curry to raise the stakes in the coming weeks.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
