In a validation of a long political legacy, Audrey Gibson downed Leslie Jean-Bart in the Democratic Primary in House District 13, winning by roughly 14 points with all precincts in.
With only a write-in on the ballot, the winner very likely will head to Tallahassee.
“I am so grateful and honored (by) the constituents of District 13 for their trust in allowing me to continue to meet their needs,” Gibson said. “I’m so excited to return as their State Representative!”
In terms of fundraising, the race was competitive. Both candidates raised around $40,000. And the discourse was respectful for most of the campaign, a marked departure from the heated battle between incumbent Angie Nixon and former City Council and School Board Member Brenda Priestly-Jackson two years prior.
Endorsements represented the divide between the pragmatist Gibson and Jean-Bart, a lawyer and community activist who said Gibson was out of touch with the “very liberal progressive district” that includes Northwest Jacksonville and the near Westside, including Avondale, Fairfax and Riverside.
Corrine Brown, the Fraternal Order of Police, the REALTORS PAC, bestbet and the First Coast Manufacturers Association backed Gibson. Senate Democratic Leader-designate Tracie Davis and Florida Rising supported Jean-Bart, meanwhile.
Because write-in Brice Galliard filed, the Primary was closed to everyone but Democrats. Despite numerous attempts to get the New York-based designer on the record about why she filed from a home listed for sale in Ortega Farms, she hasn’t returned calls over the last couple of months.