It will be another six months before Jacksonville voters head to the polls to determine their next state attorney and public defender.
They’ll have options in both races this time around. One pits a favored mainstay, Angela Corey, versus her critically outspoken former deputy, Wes White, a race in which money has flowed to Corey.
The other involves an embattled incumbent, Matt Shirk, against an opponent with almost two decades on the bench, Charles Cofer, in a race in which neither campaign has had much time to make a financial splash.
There’s still plenty of time for debates, appearances and contributions. Each candidate says as much, but there are storylines and trends emerging heading toward the Aug. 30 primary.
State Attorney’s race
Both Corey and White say their campaigns are going smoothly.
Each of them has been in the legal races the longest, Corey since May and White since March.
From a distance, it seems that where the similarities might end.
Corey, the two-time incumbent, has opened a wide financial margin over White, her former Nassau County office head.
To date, Corey has collected more than $251,000 compared to White’s almost $28,000.
White admits fundraising has been “really, really tough” but said he hopes after the May qualifying period more people will step up if just two candidates are in the race.
“We’re working hard, going from one place to another and being well received by the public,” said White. “I think we’re having an impact.”
He’s made the rounds to law offices, bridge clubs, Bar functions and even places like the Northeast Florida Scottish Games & Festival over the weekend.
White says support has come in private. But, he said, donors — especially those in the legal community — are being guarded about publicly showing support and writing checks.
“They’re concerned about repercussions,” he said.
It’s one of the many reasons he believes a change in leadership is needed. To get back to a system where power isn’t “believed to be locked in one person’s hands” and people can express themselves publicly.
White has been critical of Corey’s handling of some high-profile cases, along with pushing for a “new direction” that’s open for everyone in Jacksonville.
And despite the wide financial gap, he remains confident.
“I think everyone is going to be in for a pleasant surprise at the end of the day Aug. 30,” he said.
At the end of that day, Corey could secure a third consecutive term.
Like White, she’s been busy on the campaign trail, securing dollars and high-profile endorsements from key figures in the public safety world.
In recent weeks, Sheriff Mike Williams, former Sheriff John Rutherford and the police and fire unions have backed her.
“Things are going wonderfully,” she said, highlighting the endorsements along with grassroots effort that is finishing her petition drive.
The latter has become a priority after taking a break during the holidays.
Like White, she’s on the campaign trail to spots like gun shows, sit-downs at restaurants and civic organizations.
Corey said people shouldn’t focus on anecdotal cases — the people who “headline hop” to attack her — and instead should call her office with questions or concerns. Outside of anything confidential, she said answers will come.
If elected to a third term, Corey said one of her priorities will be aligning the criminal justice system of the old with new technology.
Corey was unopposed in 2012, but White said he signed on to ensure Jacksonville voters have a choice.
Public Defender’s race
The Public Defender’s race also has a two-time incumbent, one who had unflattering headlines in the past couple of years.
Indiscretions with female employees in his office, a grand jury report that called for his resignation, deletion of public records.
Despite the negativity, Shirk remains resilient in trying to secure a third term. He filed for re-election last month and said so far, it’s going “really well” as he campaigns in the 4th Judicial Circuit.
He said he talks about things the office has been doing, like a program to develop character skills for teenagers or showing leadership in advancing Veterans Treatment Court.
And whether it’s a Rotary Club meeting or any other civic organization, questions about the past haven’t come up.
Instead, he said, people are focused on what’s being done to address the heightened concern of curbing violence in the city.
“People want to know how we’ve tried to help,” he said.
In that first month, Shirk pulled in a little more than $9,100. He said it’s about what he expected at this point because he’s still getting his message out and making contact with past contributors.
“I’m very pleased with how the support has been,” he said.
Shirk was admitted to The Florida Bar in 2000 and served as a sole practitioner and assistant public defender before running for office.
He won his first term in 2008 in a heated battle with former Public Defender Bill White.
Four years later, he handily defeated Chuck Fletcher.
His opposition this election figures to be stiffer competition.
This time it’s Cofer, who retired from the bench in November after almost 20 years, to run against Shirk. He filed in early December. Since then, he’s raised more than $28,000.
Like Shirk, Cofer also has been pleased with the “overwhelming” support he’s received from the legal community since he stepped into the race. It’s quite different from running a judicial campaign, he said, which he did unopposed. Fundraising and campaigning are stricter.
Cofer said early on he’s been getting asked a lot about why he’d retire from being a judge to run for the office. After all, he had almost 20 years on the bench.
His answer is simple. Cofer said he wants to restore integrity to the office he once called his work home.
“The Public Defender’s Office played a great part in my career,” he said. “I take great pride in it … and when you see things not working like they should, it motivates you to go back and cure it.”
His message to people comes from his experience when he spent 18 years there under former Public Defender Lou Frost.
The key moving forward, Cofer said, will be educating the public on the position that often takes a back seat to the State Attorney’s Office in popularity.
@writerchapman
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