Callahan's official filing for candidacy caps a yearlong campaign-exploration effort, in which he discussed Jacksonville’s future with its current leaders and listened to a host of resident concerns. According to Mr. Callahan, “the next four years will bring challenges of historic proportion to Jacksonville, and real leadership is needed if the City is to remain the great place I love calling home.”  Nick Callahan now begins actively campaigning and looks forward to listening to what troubles his neighbors most, so he can hit the ground running on behalf of his constituents after the election.  For more information on Nick’s campaign, visit his website at www.jaxdistrict3.com or follow him via Twitter at http://twitter.com/NickCallahanJax.

Thinly veiled as “clarifying language”, the legislatively-induced amendment allows for districts to be defined by ambiguous “communities of interest” rather than the logical and reasonable ones voters are hoping to see if Amendments 5 & 6 pass. Many opponents to the resolutions see the additional lawmaker’s amendment as a smokescreen, designed to dupe voters into allowing incumbents and political parties to gerrymander their districts.

Now that lawmakers have put their own interests ahead of their constituents, vigorous voter education efforts are a must to successfully counteract and expose Tallahassee’s sleight of hand.  It is going to take an informed and alert electorate to keep Amendments 5 & 6 from getting lost in the shuffle of last week’s legislative flimflam. Regardless of how cunningly career politicians snuck their own amendment into play, one thing is certain – Amendments 5 & 6 earned their place on November’s Ballot and will be the only ones that can restore unencumbered, representative democracy to Floridians.

This article originally appeared on November 20, 2008--the month of JaxPoliticsOnline.com's inception.  In light of the recent special elections, where voter turnout in Jacksonville failed to top 20%, the points remain quite valid.

Duval County voters turned out in astonishing fashion in the 2008 Presidential race. When all was said and done, roughly 78% of the county’s voters found their ways to the polls to make their voices heard. This sense of civic duty was rather remarkable, particularly considering voter turnout in the 2007 City Elections, which featured a race for Mayor and every single City Council seat, was not even 20%.

In all fairness, 2008 turnout was somewhat of an anomaly. After all, a hotly contested Governor’s race in 2006 only drew 42% of Duval voters, slightly less than the equally febrile 2003 Mayor’s race, which managed to pique the interest of 50% of Jacksonville’s registered voters.

According to the Grand Jury report released in the Sunshine Law Investigation, the Grand Jury found that Duval County residents felt a disconnect from their local government. While many might be quick to point out the obvious—voters who don’t bother to show up at the polls will never have any sense of engagement in the process—what we really need to consider is why Jacksonville voters believe their voice counts in changing the direction of government in Washington, DC, but feel powerless to affect government within their own City?

Turning out voters is not only the responsibility of the Supervisor of Elections. In truth, there are many things that could be done both within and outside of government to improve voter involvement in local government. Here are a few suggestions:

1. For starters, our current elected officials could take steps to ensure openness and access to citizens. In this day of cutting edge technology, it’s rather bewildering that a majority of Jacksonville City Council members do not offer the public access to their incoming e-mail. No members offer access to outgoing e-mail. Town Hall Meetings seem to be few and far between. In fact, in my district, the only time I have heard of my Council member being available at a town hall-style meeting was when there was a public hearing over a zoning request change. There should also be more consideration given to the location and time of Council meetings. Most of the voting public works and finds it difficult to rush downtown for the opportunity to take advantage of the public comment time in a council meeting. (Not to mention the dearth of appropriately lit parking slots available.) I have to wonder what an occasional rotating Council meeting held, say, on a Saturday morning at alternating locations throughout the City (Mandarin, Beaches, etc) would do to increase public interest in City Council deliberations.

2. Our local media also needs to fully embrace their role as public watchdog. The Florida Times-Union did a sensational job in uncovering and investigating several recent major stories, including the Sunshine Law Violations and allegations of corruption at the Jacksonville Port Authority. Many of the local television stations have had similar pockets of success and Folio Weekly has long prided itself on its investigative prowess. Where are these media outlets; however, when local races are on the ballots? Is it too much to ask for our daily paper to commission a poll on the top five issues voters see as crucial in upcoming city elections? Such a poll could then be followed up with a five week series leading up to Election Day exploring these various issues, sharing proposed solutions and highlighting where the various candidates stand. Why couldn’t competing candidates for the Supervisor of Elections post write dueling op-ed pieces that lay out the challenges they see within the office and discuss the direction they would like to take it? Why can’t local television stations catch people walking around the St. Johns Town Center on a Sunday afternoon and ask them to pose a question to candidates running for City Council? Why couldn’t all of the outlets do a better job of expanding their online capabilities? After all, how difficult would it be to reach out to local blogs and forums to draw in educated and lively debate on issues? Why couldn’t candidate debates be posted in online formats, such as YouTube or iTunes, to make them more accessible to the public that might not be able to catch a specific program?

3. Candidates---and the political consultants that advise them---need to embrace modern technology in their campaigns. While campaign websites seem to be (ever so slowly) becoming a staple of political life in Jacksonville, one recent candidate for City Council featured a website that was absolutely appalling in its archaic insignificancy. The site was nothing more than a vapid one-page billboard—-quite startling for a city-wide election in a major population center with nearly 1 million residents. Campaigns are expensive, certainly, but many of the methods of modern media are free. Hopefully, the success of the Obama campaign should have forever established the importance of such outlets as Facebook (free), YouTube (free) and blogs (also free). Local candidates wishing to engage the ever-elusive younger voters should explore these types of mediums to communicate their messages.

4. Local campaign finance reform is long overdue. For years, local fundraising has been dominated by a few industry segments (and individuals) who have opened their coffers and exploited loopholes to bankroll their preferred candidates, often leading to situations where a candidate can haul in thousands of dollars via one individual who also happens to have multiple corporations and partnerships. Several local activists, including former city council candidate Scott Shine, have worked to advance proposals that would ban corporate contributions to Duval County races. This is something the City Council should earnestly consider. Jacksonville is long overdue to return the responsibility for local governance to the voting public that pays the bulk of the property taxes in the City. Campaigns should be about a candidate’s vision for the City, not their ability to monopolize a select few donor sources to effectively overwhelm the competition.

5. Finally, and most importantly, voters need to realize that they alone have the ultimate responsibility to become actively engaged in the process. There are multiple tools available to the public to educate themselves on candidates for office. Google the names of candidates, find their websites, read local forums, blogs and the sample ballot from the Supervisor of Elections. And, for goodness sakes, show up to vote. In today’s world, where the two weeks before Election Day offer early voting, voting is easier than it has ever been.

Jacksonville has many things of which to be proud. Our river and our beaches provide scenic beauty that is only the beginning of the advantages we have over cities throughout the country. It’s certainly time that we add the active engagement of our voting public to that lineup.

Then there's this one about the videotape saga:

There's only one problem with that letter.  Well, two problems.  First of all, the Thrasher campaign has denied any involvement in the videotapes.  (Denials in politics, of course, rarely mean anything.)  Secondly, Dan Quiggle did not stand up for himself.  His wife held a press conference at which she spoke, not him.  (That; however, is a rather petty observation to make.)

Finally, this one demonstrated a lack of knowledge of the views of the political powerhouse whose seat Messrs. Jordan, Graham, Thrasher and Quiggle were running to fill.

Ms. Kidd must not be familiar with the late Jim King---a celebrated, pro-choice Republican.

What a race this one has been.  As Jacksonville public relations executive Michael Munz tweeted the other day, it certainly has been a stimulus for North Florida's media outlets.

Because John Thrasher has been so extensively covered in other media, and because of the time constraints that I have been subject to this past week, I thought it best to provide links to a few stories that might offer voters unfamiliar with Thrasher to learn a bit more about him.

The PoliticsFla blog has been rather critical of Thrasher throughout this abbreviated campaign, criticizing him on everything from using state aircraft for flights to naming an arts center after himself.  The Florida Times-Union, in endorsing Thrasher, said some of the accusations that have been leveled against him simply are not true.  Thrasher did, however, admit to violating state ethics laws after leaving office in 2001 and did pay a $500 fine for lobbying lawmakers.

Thrasher's supporters have made an effort to remind voters of the clout Jim King held in the State Senate and to make the case that the former Speaker would enter the Senate with instant influence.

Whatever the voters' decision is on Tuesday, it's a shame that the Democratic Party did not field a candidate in this race.  Because of the fact that no Democrat stepped forward to run, Tuesday's election is open only to Republican voters  to decide this race (Several write-in candidates did qualify, which closed the primary, but it is highly improbable that they would be able to garner any support in the general election.)

If Florida ever needed a prototype election that clearly spelled out the need for campaign finance reform, the special election in State Senate District 8 is that race.  There are mysterious groups funding mailings against Black Panthers, ads against John Thrasher, ads for John Thrasher, ads for Dan Quiggle, and now, mailings for Stan Jordan.

You can almost hear Tammy Wynette belting out "Stand By Ole Stan," in the latest mailing from a secretive group known as the "Committee To Protect Florida."  With the recent mailer from this group, Jordan becomes the latest candidate in the race to attempt to tie himself to the Tea Party protests that have filled the summer news cycle.  (Dan Quiggle has already been asked by Tea Party organizers to stop using footage from his appearance at the Jacksonville Landing Tea Party.)  The mailer also attempts to cloud the Jeb Bush endorsement of John Thrasher by including a picture of Jordan and Bush, although it's a rather odd shot of Jeb! that only manages to capture the side of his head.

The voters of Senate District 8 will likely never know who has spent money trying to influence their vote.  According to a recent column by columnist Gary Fineout, a case out of South Florida during the 2004 election demonstrates just how difficult it is to force accountability out of any of these 527 groups.  In this particular case, a 527 group known as "The People For Fairness And Equality" inserted themselves into a Democratic State Senate primary.  A significant amount of the group's funding came from an organization not registered with the State of Florida.  The Florida Elections Commission; however, has given up on investigating the group because they are no longer able to locate the group's Chairman, a flight attendant who was apparently out of work when she started the group.

By the time the District 8 race is over, it will undoubtedly be one of the most expensive races North Florida has ever seen.  And, there's a chance we could see it all over again---in 2010.  One thing is for certain, we do need election reform.  The fact that hundreds of thousands of dollars could be spent on securing an office that pays less than $50,000 during a time in which the state (and city) is struggling to balance its budget is fundamentally wrong.

The images from the mailer are located below...

Images from JaxOutLoud.com.

Karen Thurman, the former Congresswoman who chairs the Florida Democratic Party, was decidedly critical. "This glaring example of political cronyism is the last thing Florida needed," Thurman said in a statement. "In appointing LeMieux, someone who has made
millions...selling access to Crist...Crist once again put his own political ambition above doing what is right for Florida." Surprisingly enough, many Republicans agree with Thurman, if only in private.

Republican Party leaders throughout Florida seemed to have resigned themselves to the prospect of Charlie Crist as the state's next Senator. It's not something that thrills them---particularly when they know Crist has loftier ambitions and no real commitment to serving the people of Florida for any length of time. At the same time, they don't see what other option they have.

Many Republicans, who view themselves as moderate conservatives in the mold of former US Senator Connie Mack III, are uncomfortable with the overly heated rhetoric of Marco Rubio, the former Speaker of the House who is challenging Crist in the GOP primary. While Rubio has charisma and passion, he is considered far right on many issues---too conservative for many moderates within the party---and his personality and healthy ego hasn't always gelled well with party insiders. Further complicating matters, a sitting Governor is almost always the favorite in any primary, and thus without a more high-profile challenger such as Jeb Bush, party insiders have reluctantly endorsed Crist's candidacy.

The circus of Crist's Senate interviews; however, surprised even some of the most veteran Crist observers. Most political insiders had long predicted that, if Crist could have his way and was comfortable that there would be no political backlash, he would appoint LeMieux, his long-time aide, to the Senate as a "placeholder." While those predictions were made early on, few thought that Crist---someone who has always shown keen political skill---would actually do it.

During the weeks of "interviews", Crist travelled the state, sitting down with such high-profile public servants as Jim Smith (the former Attorney General and Secretary of State), Clay Shaw (the long-time former Congressman), Lou Frey (also a long-time US Congressman), Daniel Webster (a former Legislator and one of the state's most prominent conservatives), Jennifer Carroll (the state's first African-American female Legislator), U. S. Rep. C. W. Bill Young and John Delaney (the former Jacksonville Mayor, UNF President and Florida University Chancellor). The interviews drew a significant amount of press coverage and were strategically positioned throughout the state---allowing the Governor face time on the local news in every major television market in the state.

Crist's demand for applications from these individuals, many of who had spent a lifetime in public service, was seen as an insult by many. Some, including former Lt. Governor Toni Jennings and U. S. Rep. Bill Young, declined to complete the 10-page form.

In the end, Crist's pick has to be seen as a slight to many of these individuals. After all, some of them have decades of Washington experience and could have easily stepped into the interim role with no need to learn the ropes. Others are widely-respected leaders who have shown an impressive ability to reach consensus during their time in public service. LeMieux, while an admirable man and loyal staffer, will undoubtedly be on a learning curve during much of the year and a half he will serve in the Senate.

One has to look at some of these candidates and ask a rather glaring question---what makes LeMieux a better candidate than them?

John Delaney is a great example of that. Delaney was a popular Mayor of Jacksonville, the largest city in the state and the region that the Republican Party consistently relies on to secure victory in statewide elections. While previously rumored to have Senate ambitions, Delaney appears to have become quite content serving as the President of the University of North Florida, spearheading impressive capital campaigns to take the University to new heights. Despite previous experience in leading an institution of higher learning, Delaney has so distinguished himself that he was asked to serve as Interim Chancellor of the State University System. Delaney is widely admired, well-travelled in DC circles and would have been a smart choice to serve the state on an interim basis. With this choice, Crist would have certainly endeared himself to many Republicans in North Florida who consistently feel taken for granted.

Former US Representative Clay Shaw is another example. Shaw was a consistent conservative voice during his years in the House, so it's hard to imagine how conservative primary voters could have found fault with this Crist pick. With his decades of Washington experience, he could have hit the ground running on Day 1.

Former Florida Legislator Daniel Webster, while having no previous experience serving in Washington, is no stranger to the Capitol. He is widely admired throughout the state and his choice would have thrilled the party's conservative base.

In the end; however, Charlie Crist demonstrated that his pick wasn't about who would best serve the State of Florida---it was about who would best serve the political ambitions of Charlie Crist. LeMieux will be expected to set up a "Crist Office-In-Waiting" in Washington. His votes will undoubtedly mirror the ever-changing political stances that are Charlie Crist.

Perhaps, in the end, those personal political ambitions were why Crist wasn't comfortable with the other candidates on the list. Despite their unquestioned support for the Governor and his 2010 candidacy, each of them has a distinguished political career with a history of independent thought. For a politician who has repeatedly demonstrated that what is best for Florida will never stand in the way of his personal ambition, that was a risk Crist was unwilling to take.

With the September 15 primary now set to fill the vacant Senate seat of the late Jim King, other races down the ballot are opening up.  Art Graham, the District 13 Jacksonville City Councilman who was already a declared candidate for the 2010 race to replace King, has resigned his Council seat to run in the special election.  That has created a vacancy that at least three other candidates are interested in pursuing.

Atlantic Beach Mayor John Meserve (R) has already announced his intentions to seek Graham's Council seat, as has fellow Republican Richard Pait.  Meserve's candidacy will also leave a position vacant in Atlantic Beach.  He would seemingly be the front-runner for Graham's seat, based solely on his name recognition in the beaches community.  (Fellow Republican Richard Pait lives west of the "ditch"---a significant hurdle to overcome in a district that is heavily populated by the beaches communities.)  The other candidate who has expressed interest in the Council race at this point is Dave Smith, a Democrat.

Stan Jordan's entry into the State Senate race will also open up the Duval County School Board District 1 seat.  Mr. Jordan won election to that post in November 2008 after a particularly close race against Democrat Ken Manuel.

The District 8 State Senate race has long been seen as the titanic matchup of 2010.  Now, with the abbreviated timeline, it will be quite the race to watch.  John Thrasher, seen by many as the frontrunner, brings tremendous name recognition and a well-funded organization to the race.  Art Graham also has a dedicated volunteer base and has sought to capitalize on new media to generate voter interest in a race that will very likely feature low turnout.  Dan Quiggle has a committed group of volunteers from his Republican outsider group, Americans for Prosperity, who are keen on electing one of their own to the legislature.  The newest entry to the race, Stan Jordan, brings a well-known name and a fervent volunteer base into the mix.

All four candidates will face their challenges, some of which we have covered in the past.  The newest candidate, Stan Jordan, will likely face difficult questions in regards to why he is so willing to abandon the School Board seat to which he was elected last November less than a year after attaining it.  Voters may wonder if he truly took his job on the school board (which he had previously served on for 16 years before being elected to the Florida House in 2000) seriously.  Can he really make a case that he accomplished everything he had set out to do on the School Board in less than 12 months?  Those are questions he will likely have to answer in the next few weeks.

Stay tuned...

Less than one year after winning election to the Duval County School Board, Stan Jordan has announced that he is resigning to run for the Senate seat left vacant with the passing of Jim King.  Speaking to the press, Jordan said that "[he]will take a lot of the issues, concerns and frustrations of the School Board to the Senate with [him]."

Jordan was a long-time member of the School Board who left to serve in the House.  After being forced out by term limits, he announced his intent to pursue election to his old School Board seat.  After securing a 2,500 vote victory over Democrat Ken Manuel in a surprisingly close race, Jordan is now abandoning that seat less than one year after winning it.

Jordan's decision will make for an incredibly tight race between four Republicans in the September 15 primary.  Check back for more on this story in the coming days.

With the news this week that Aaron Bean was dropping out of the race to replace Jim King in the Florida Senate, it became apparent that Republican heavyweights were stepping up their efforts to ensure the election of John Thrasher.  In a short statement, Bean, who had raised nearly $250,000 for the race, said that the presence of both he and Trasher was "diluting" the "same conservative vision and experiences" that they had to offer.  Bean did not mention the fact that he had been in the race for nearly two years and Thrasher had only entered the race several months ago after wrapping up his lobbying obligations during the recent legislative session.

Thrasher, a lobbyist and former Speaker of the House, may be a new resident to Senate District 8, but party power brokers have lined up to support him.  Despite any web presence, he has raised nearly $275,000 in the few short months he has been in the race.

Thrasher will still face obstacles in securing the nomination, namely the candidacies of Jacksonville City Councilman Art Graham and businessman Dan Quiggle.

Quiggle is no stranger to challenging the party establishment.  Despite the advice of local Republican activists, he challenged former State Senator Ander Crenshaw in the race to succeed the retiring Tillie Fowler.  He lost that race and has been banished from the party's inner circle ever since.  As the chairman of the Florida chapter of Americans for Prosperity, Quiggle has grown quite accustomed to the role of party outsider.  He is the anti-tax groups best hope for statewide office.

Art Graham, the Jacksonville City Councilman representing the Beaches, has raised nearly $135,000 in his bid for the seat.  Despite obtaining the support of Former Jacksonville Mayors Jake Godbold and John Delaney, Atlantic Beach Mayor John Meserve, Neptune Beach Mayor Harriet Pruett, Jacksonville Beach Mayor Fland Sharp, and Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts, Graham faces an uphill battle in winning the race.  While he may be the most organized candidate with a vibrant multi-media effort and grassroots support, Graham has not received the blessing of the party establishment.

By persuading Bean to exit the race, party brokers have essentially narrowed the race to Thrasher and Graham.  Bean will no doubt be rewarded for his departure---perhaps an appointment to State Insurance Commissioner or the Agency for Health Care Administration is in his future?  (Of course, an appointment to AHCA would be rather ironic in light of Bean's leadership in slashing nearly $1 billion in healthcare cuts in 2008.)

In the end; however, the voters of District 8---not the party's establishment---will have the final say on September 15.