Lenny Curry's PAC attacks Anna Brosche before she enters mayor's race

Jeopardy-like parody targets possible opponent in Jacksonville mayoral race

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Before she's even filed to run in next spring's city elections, a negative political commercial began airing attacking a possible mayoral candidate.

Jacksonville on the Rise, a political action committee affiliated with Mayor Lenny Curry, is paying for the commercial that attacks City Councilwoman Anna Brosche by name in a "Jeopardy"-like parody.

Brosche has said she’s considering running for mayor this March but has yet to file. She declined an interview, but her political consultant calls the commercial "desperate."

"Mayor Curry and his cronies are more concerned about their political survival than running the city. Their focus should be on ending the Curry crime wave, improving graduation rates, and building the economy, not tearing down a woman who wants to improve our city,"  Ryan Wiggins said in a statement.

University of North Florida political science professor Michael Binder said Brosche has raised some money she may use to run but he wonders if she has waited too late to build name recognition, even though she was president of the City Council last year.

"If you thought you were going to run against Curry and not get attack ads sent against you, you’re really naive," Binder said.

Binder thinks the commercial may be persuasive. 

"It’s entertaining and it, in a lot of ways, it targets who a good core of the likely voters are going to be come March: older white folks that watch 'Jeopardy.'”

Binder expects mostly super-voters to cast ballots in March, with a turnout of only 25 percent.

The deadline to file to run for mayor, City Council seats and other local offices is Jan. 11. So far, Republican Jimmy Hill, Democrats Howard Barnes, Doreszell Cohen and Yolanda Thornton, and NPA candidates E. Omega Allen, Connell Crooms and Vishaun Grissett have filed to run against Curry.