Daily Record Financial News &
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Vol. 102, No. 133 • Two Sections
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Lenny Curry’ s road to becoming mayor
Williams
Williams defeats Jefferson for sheriff
Mayor-elect Lenny Curry talks to supporters as members of his family cheer him on. In his first attempt at running for office, Curry defeated Mayor Alvin Brown.
Photo by Fran Ruchalski
By Max Marbut Staff Writer
First-time candidate overcame several obstacles
By Marilyn Young Editor
Lenny Curry got an initial bit of encouragement Tuesday night when the early voting totals were first posted. He had expected to be behind at that point, he said, but instead he was up 700 votes. His night just kept getting better. Curry’s lead over Mayor Alvin Brown widened as each new group of precinct results was released. By the end of the night, Curry had beaten Brown by nearly 5,300 votes in what few truly believed could have happened when his name surfaced as a possible challenger about 18 months ago. Curry’s name recognition started in the low single digits, his inherent shyness
made it difficult for him to work a room and he had never been a candidate for office. But still, he was selected when a group of prominent Republicans got together to settle on a candidate to take on Brown. That anointment, of sorts, helped bring in millions in fundraising and unrivaled clout among many in the party. Curry added an extraordinary work ethic, a willingness to learn what he didn’t know and a wife who grounded him and helped ensure he kept his promise that their family came first. All of that led him to where he stood Tuesday night at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront: The mayor-elect surrounded by his family on stage, being applauded by the dedicated team and faithful backers that made it possible.
Brown ‘couldn’t be beat’
By the time Curry entered the race in June, Brown had already raised $1 million. And, no matter what poll you looked at, none of the news was encouraging for Curry. There was one that showed Brown’s approval rating was in the low 70s. Another poll showed the mayor’s support in some Republican precincts was north of 65 percent. And a poll sought by a potential candidate led the pollster to say Brown couldn’t be beat. When Mike Hightower saw how low Curry’s numbers were, he knew it was more than a hill to climb. “This isn’t a hill,” he recalled saying, “this is a cliff.” Curry... Continued on Page A-6
In another close contest, Mike Williams was elected sheriff over Ken Jefferson, the two survivors of the seven-candidate First Election. Republican Williams and Democrat Jefferson, both former Jacksonville police officers, split the early and by-mail votes. Jefferson earned more early voters and Williams won the contest among those who mailed in their ballots. But Tuesday when voters went to the polls to cement the final tally, Williams took a slim early lead and never looked back. When all votes were counted, he was the overall choice by about 6,000 votes out of more than 200,000 ballots. A 23-year veteran of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Williams retired in 2014 as director of patrol and enforcement, where he managed the department’s more than 1,000 sworn officers. While in uniform, Williams worked the Downtown beat, led the office’s SWAT Team and served as director of Investigations and Homeland Security. In accepting his victory, Williams thanked not only his supporters, but also those who voted for Jefferson. Williams reached out to his opponent, saying that there is “room for all ideas” when it comes to facing Jacksonville’s public safety challenges. Williams... Continued on Page A-7
Newcomer Anna Brosche unseats Daniels
Brosche
Public
As she caught her breath Tuesday night following a successful first run for public office, Anna Lopez Brosche said she feels she’s joining City Council at an ideal time. Brosche defeated incumbent Kimberly Daniels in the citywide At-Large Group 1 runoff. She said more and more investors are demonstrating they believe in Jacksonville’s potential. In turn, residents sense the city is embarking on greatness, she said.
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“There are a lot of people excited about our future as we make our way into an improving economy,” Brosche said after the final votes were cast Tuesday. “It’s just a matter of capitalizing on the momentum, being smart, and investing wisely in a way that works for all of us.” Brosche is managing shareholder at Ennis Pellum & Associates CPAs and chairs the United Way of Northeast Florida board of directors, among other com-
munity service activities. She said she will be the first FilipinoAmerican and first Asian-American on the council. “That’s something I’m very proud of,” she said. “This has always been about serving the community in a larger way. “We have things we need to clean up, including the pension fund and a lot of other things that we’ve been talking about for awhile,” said Brosche. — Kevin Hogencamp
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AT-LARGE GROUP 3 Hazouri adding Council to public service resume
Add Jacksonville City Council member to Tommy Hazouri’s substantial political resume. The former mayor, Duval County School Board member and Florida legislator was elected as the council’s At-Large Group 3 member in Tuesday’s runoff, defeating Council... Continued
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