The verbal shots came early and often Tuesday night on the stage at Jacksonville University.
Melissa Nelson used her opener, in part, to go after State Attorney Angela Corey for what she calls a lack of accountability. Endorsements that have piled up for Corey and statistics touting improvements in convictions and trials don’t matter, Nelson said.
“We deserve better,” she said at the end of her opening salvo.
Ah, but she is wrong, said Corey. Statistics for the 4th Judicial Circuit have dramatically improved since the days of her predecessors.
And those endorsements she’s piled up? They come from trusted leaders the people have elected, she said.
It was just a sample of what was to come during the most visible opportunity Republican state attorney hopefuls had to date to persuade voters why they should be the one to represent the office for four years.
Time is running out to do so for Corey, Nelson and Wes White. Their fates will be known after the Aug. 30 primary.
If the Swisher Theater stage were a boxing ring, at times the fight seemed to be lopsided.
Sometimes Nelson and White would hit Corey on the same topic, such as the issue of closing the election to all voters. Corey’s former campaign manager filed paperwork for a write-in candidate, attorney Kenny Leigh.
It’s a “political dirty trick” that shows Corey isn’t trustworthy or accountable for her actions, Nelson said.
White jumped in, saying the move divided the community and the race should be nonpartisan.
“Politics is a nasty game. I know, I’ve been the subject of it,” said White, alluding to his allegation that Nelson supporters attempted to force him from the race.
An outside prosecutor this week found no merit to the allegation. When asked by the moderator if he should apologize for that, White said “no.” Nelson followed up by saying he should.
Corey defended herself from the write-in accusations, saying she had no knowledge of her former manager’s actions until after it was done.
Nelson, she said, was complaining about the law in place and being “disrespectful” to the Supreme Court that allows write-in candidates and closed primaries.
Yet, the double-teaming swung back against Nelson, too.
Not long into the debate, Corey took a veiled shot at her for waiving the death penalty on a serial killer who she said vowed to kill again — and did.
William Wells, the so-called Monster of Mayport, killed five people in 2003.
Nelson was the prosecutor on the case, but waived the death penalty and instead sought consecutive life sentences.
That was a mistake, said both Corey and White, and showed an error in judgment.
Wells went on to kill an inmate who was serving 10 years and deserved a second chance, said White. That would have been avoided had Wells been isolated on death row.
The ordeal has been the subject of attack ads on Nelson, but she said she listened to the families of victims who asked for those life sentences instead of death.
And Corey, she said, was her supervisor at the time, who praised her work and gave her positive remarks in evaluations.
Corey denies being her supervisor and said Nelson was wrong for allowing a plea deal instead of the death penalty in that case.
Her supervisors, Corey said, were former State Attorney Harry Shorstein — who Corey and White repeatedly tied to Nelson — and another official she didn't name.
White said Nelson wasn’t showing accountability for her actions.
The audience was divided among all three candidates, cheering wildly at times after responses and during commercial breaks.
The debate was webcast and will be aired on WJXT TV-4 at a later date. And while some might say a candidate “won” the debate, the real winner won’t be known for two weeks.
@writerchapman
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