Manatee Review

Early voting is ongoing for Feb. 22 Special Election.

Gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist is making the most of the stretch run in the Jacksonville City Council Special Election.

The U.S. Congressman and former governor is spending Wednesday campaigning with Democratic General Election candidate Dr. Tracye Polson, appearing with her as she attempts to drive turnout ahead of Tuesday’s Election Day.

Crist is the only one of the three major Democratic candidates for Governor to make a real play during the at-large election. His remarks were brief at the press conference, describing Polson as a “fighter.”

The news conference featured pastors in support of Polson also, and there will be a version of the traditional “Souls to the Polls” Democratic voter push on Saturday and Sunday, according to one of the ministers on hand.

Polson and Republican Nick Howland are the two candidates Duval County voters are currently weighing, and votes are coming in ahead of Tuesday’s Election Day.

Democrats have a turnout edge thus far, bolstered by a 2,500-vote lead in vote-by-mail returns. Republicans are winning the in-person early vote, however, with a 129-vote lead in that category as of 11 a.m. Wednesday. Democrats have an overall turnout lead of roughly 4 percentage points, a lead that has narrowed in recent days.

This election will fill the remaining time in the term of Tommy Hazouri, who recently passed away. The term will end in June 2023. But both candidates have raised and spent big money, even by the incomplete accounting currently available.

Polson has reported raising more than $410,000 in hard money and an additional $73,000 to her political committee, Better Jacksonville. As was the case during her run for the state House in 2018, she has been willing to self-fund.

Howland, the choice of establishment Republicans and business groups, has reported raising more than $145,000 in hard money and an additional $196,000 to his Florida Freedom PAC political committee.

Those numbers reflect activity through the end of January, so more money certainly has surged to both candidates.

Howland and Polson advanced to the General Election after being the top two finishers in the first election in December. Polson came in first by the thinnest of margins with 36.7% of the vote, compared to Howland’s 35.9%.

Original source can be found here.