Congratulations to Mayor Alvin Brown on his re-election to the City Hall of Jack

[vicupstate]

Why was a "rarely used procedure" used to start with?  It has been my experience that those types of things are dredged up because the person using it does have an agenda and has found a way to push that agenda forward.

You are learning, grasshopper!

[Tacachale]

Well, I certainly hope Metro Jacksonville gives this much attention to the next dumb thing the Alvin Brown campaign does. I mean, it's not like he's blowing off important budget meetings to go raise money with Bill Cosby in New York and then having to give all the money back or anything.

[tufsu1]

Well, I certainly hope Metro Jacksonville gives this much attention to the next dumb thing the Alvin Brown campaign does. I mean, it's not like he's blowing off important budget meetings to go raise money with Bill Cosby in New York and then having to give all the money back or anything.

not that I agree with the decision to go to New York, but there is a reason that Mayors have a staff.  In the case of Alvin Brown, his Chief Financial Officer and Chief of Staff were heavily involved in the process.

[Tacachale]

Well, I certainly hope Metro Jacksonville gives this much attention to the next dumb thing the Alvin Brown campaign does. I mean, it's not like he's blowing off important budget meetings to go raise money with Bill Cosby in New York and then having to give all the money back or anything.

not that I agree with the decision to go to New York, but there is a reason that Mayors have a staff.  In the case of Alvin Brown, his Chief Financial Officer and Chief of Staff were heavily involved in the process.
[/quote]

Yes, he's very fortunate to have so many people to pass the buck to.

[judy8166]

Rule 8 of the Republican Party of Florida (Party rules of Procedure  1-14-2012) was invoked because a quorum of the Duval County Republican Executive Committee requested that the party endorse a Mayoral candidate in the upcoming City election.  This was a grassroots effort and not done at the behest of the Chairman.  (Please forgive the pedantic language - I am a former English, as well as Math teacher - old habits die hard).

[strider]

Rule 8 of the Republican Party of Florida (Party rules of Procedure  1-14-2012) was invoked because a quorum of the Duval County Republican Executive Committee requested that the party endorse a Mayoral candidate in the upcoming City election.  This was a grassroots effort and not done at the behest of the Chairman.  (Please forgive the pedantic language - I am a former English, as well as Math teacher - old habits die hard).

So some did indeed have an agenda - to get Curry endorsed when we can assume (from the multiple blank ballots turned in) that many seemed to think it was not a correct thing (endorse either candidate) to do at this point. You said the procedure was rarely used therefore we can also assume the request was somewhat unusual as was the process which from all accounts was a bit flawed. Not a shining moment for the party nor for the new Chairman, Mr. Lumb.

[vicupstate]

Why would the Executive Committee endorse anyone for any race? Why not let the voters make up their own minds? It is all about providing a predetermined result rather than letting the free flow of ideas occur.     

[Tacachale]

^to try and present a unified front so there's not a situation like 2011, where the two best Republican candidates knocked each other out of the race and the third lost.

[vicupstate]

^to try and present a unified front so there's not a situation like 2011, where the two best Republican candidates knocked each other out of the race and the third lost.

That would make sense in 2011, but there are only two GOP candidates and only one Democrat this time. That scenario can't occur this time.

Either one candidate wins outright (not likely at all), or there is a runoff, one of which (at least) has to be a Republican. An endorsement can only influence WHICH of the two goes to the runoff. There is no way a potentially weak Republican 'runs up the middle' because for there to be a 'middle' there has to be three GOP candidates.

There is a nonpartisan candidate that filed, but they have raised and spent virtually nothing.   

[CityLife]

^to try and present a unified front so there's not a situation like 2011, where the two best Republican candidates knocked each other out of the race and the third lost.

That would make sense in 2011, but there are only two GOP candidates and only one Democrat this time. That scenario can't occur this time.

Either one candidate wins outright (not likely at all), or there is a runoff, one of which (at least) has to be a Republican. An endorsement can only influence WHICH of the two goes to the runoff. There is no way a potentially weak Republican 'runs up the middle' because for there to be a 'middle' there has to be three GOP candidates.

The two Republican candidates can still knock each other out though and enable Brown to win without a runoff. The more the two focus on each other (like this incident) and beat each other up, the more likely that Brown is able to slip through and win. Incidents like this are likely to lead to voter apathy from local Republicans, and a reduced voter turnout. Or swing moderate votes Brown's way again.

I know I'd like to hear a lot more about issues and vision, and less about petty drama.

[Tacachale]

^More likely, they want to support the candidate they think has the best chance of defeating Brown in the general election, so we don't have another situation where the stronger candidate is knocked out in the runoff.

[CityLife]

^More likely, they want to support the candidate they think has the best chance of defeating Brown in the general election, so we don't have another situation where the stronger candidate is knocked out in the runoff.

I agree that is the right strategy in theory. Doesn't appear to have been well executed though.

[Steve]

The party has a tough time with local elections for this reason. From the party perspective, the State and Federal takes care of it with the process - Party Primary, then the party dumps everything into the winner.

[TheCat]

From Facebook:

Lesley Davidson:

I will share again my status after REC - on this improper REC "vote-" Absolutely embarrassing show at the REC meeting tonight.

After the rule eight endorsement vote the result was no majority winner. So there would be no endorsement in the mayoral race. However, members didn't like this result. So they voted to overturn the chairman's rule on three new members voting status. They couldn't get a correct vote for that motion by hand count, so they had to stand up and count themselves out to find out how many were left in the meeting.

They had to put a sheriff's officer at the door to keep anyone from leaving. Then they voted again but they forgot to count who was abstaining to see if they had quorum.

Then supervisor of elections Jerry Holland stood up and explain the rules and basically that what they were doing wasn't following the correct rules. But they chose to ignore him.

They moved onto more votes and then finally yellow card stock votes. And finally another vote at 9:45 that just made it to the vote they needed after swearing someone who left and came back and was a valid voter.

EMBARRASSING TO BE A REPUBLICAN. THIS WAS IMPROPER FOR SO MANY REASONS. FIRST FOR ROBERTS RULES. SECOND BECAUSE ROBIN LUMB AS CHAIRMAN WAS UNETHICAL AND WEAK. AND THIRD THAT THIS WAS BAD FOR BOTH CANDIDATES.

https://www.facebook.com/MetroJacksonville/posts/10153061953543979?comment_id=10153062116678979&notif_t=feed_comment

[tayana42]

Political Parties have a single overriding agenda.....to win.  Little thought is given to the matter of who would best serve the community.  So, the agenda of the parties and that of the community often do not align.  This is the case in the Jacksonville Mayoral race.  The Mayor is hugely important to a community's wellbeing and I suggest that many voters will cast their ballot on that basis.  Under that premise, Bill Bishop has a good chance of winning.