Mayoral candidate Steve Irvine dies

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Steve Irvine, the longtime owner of a Riverside bar and regular candidate for mayor of Jacksonville, has died of cancer.

Irvine, who ran for mayor at least four times without party affiliation and with little funding, appeared as often as possible at public forums and debates.

Irvine told Channel 4 in 2011 that he was not in the race to win, but to bring up issues -- including adequate funding of education and crime prevention -- that other candidates don't want to discuss.

"If I can influence you and him and him and make different people that think it's not that bad understand that is that bad and it can be fixed, then I did win, didn't I?" Irvine said last year.

Irvine and a partner owned Yesterday's Social Club on Park Street.