by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
Not surprisingly, a political race with no incumbent draws several candidates. Four hopefuls are after the At-large Group 4 City Council seat currently held by Ginger Soud, who can’t run again because of term limits.
Tiwana Flagg
Jacksonville native Tiwana Flagg, a Democrat, may be new to politics, but that hasn’t stopped her from having plenty of designs for the office, if elected.
Flagg, who has a master’s degree in education, said she first began thinking about politics nearly 20 years ago when her younger brother was struck by a car while walking home and killed. There was no sidewalk.
“I remember thinking at the time that there were no sidewalks in the entire district and there still aren’t,” said Flagg. “That’s what really got me thinking about running in the first place. It’s a dream come true to run on his legacy.”
Among Flagg’s concerns are the preservation of Jacksonville’s green space and a bolstered government commitment to education.
“I want to establish business partnerships for all of the school’s in Jacksonville,” said Flagg. “I’m running for every child in districts one though 14.”
Flagg added that she is an advocate for citywide health care and public transportation for the elderly.
“The time has come for the city to elect sincere people into office,” said Flagg. “If I’ve learned one thing from campaigning, it’s that people don’t care about what degrees you have or where you’re from. They want to know that you have genuine concern for the city and can get the job done while protecting their tax dollars. Nothing else matters.”
But is Flagg prepared to work alongside Council members; most of whom she believes “do not have the citizens at heart.”
“I sure am. Definitely,” she said. “This should be an interesting election.”
Kevin Hyde
Though he had been preparing to run for public office for some time, Kevin Hyde has still encountered a few surprises along the campaign trail. He is the only Republican in the race.
“More than anything, I’ve been surprised to see a division throughout the city,” said Hyde, who is a partner at the the law firm of Foley and Lardner. “Speaking beyond racial boundaries, I’ve noticed stark contrasts between the affluent and the more challenged areas. Across the county, people have different issues that are of concern to them.”
If elected, Hyde hopes to address those concerns — growth management and affordable housing among them — head on.
“I’ve always set my sights at a macro level,” he said. “That’s why I’m running at-large so I can represent the entire county.”
Following a visit to the port — which he described as “eye opening” — Hyde said he would also continue to efforts to help it grow and thrive.
“They were talking about 45,000 well paying jobs, which is fantastic,” he said. “It is a very exciting piece to Jacksonville’s economic engine.”
Hyde, who specializes in labor and employment disputes, plans to apply his experience as an attorney to the Council. He has also been involved in organizations including the Florida 4H Foundation, the Northeast Florida Safety Council and the Youth Crisis Center.
“I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with businesses to help them resolve their economic issues,” said Hyde. “I enjoy working towards solving a problem and I believe that I can bring a sense of consensus building to the Council, if elected.”
Kevin Sanders
Though this is Democrat candidate Kevin Sanders second run for office — he ran for Congress in 2000 — he said it was only natural for him to try again.
“I have always been service oriented and active in the community,” said Sanders. “Now, I’ll just be working on a larger scope. A lot of people that I work with were literally harassing me to take it up a notch and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.”
Sanders, an attorney, has been active in the Civic Round Table of Jacksonville, the Central Civitan Club of Jacksonville, the Duval County Democratic Executive Committee and the Florida Trial Lawyers of Association.
If elected, Sanders plans to focus on Jacksonville’s economic growth.
“We need to be tapping into our natural resources,” he said. “We are an optimal port city and we don’t invest enough in it. We need to think beyond cruise ships and warm water is an obvious bonus, too.”
Sanders also said Jacksonville misses out on the millions of tourists traveling further south.
“We need to do something to attract tourism,” said Sanders. “The benefits are numerous, but we’ve got to provide something for them to do because we can establish major economic growth through tourism. Local growth is very important, and we should be looking beyond getting employers and manufacturers here to do it.”
Beyond all else, Sanders said the voters should remember one thing when entering the polls April 15.
“Remember Sanders. I think that’s probably most important,” he said. “There’s two Kevin’s on there, so pay close attention to the last name.”
Domonique Torrence
Though Domonique Torrence looks forwards to Jacksonville’s growth over the next few years, he wants to make sure that, as a member of the Council, no areas are left behind. This is his first campaign.
“That’s something that I’ve noticed for a long time,” said Torrence, a Democrat and Jacksonville native. “You look at the Southside and there’s three grocery stores within a mile of each other. But then you look at areas on the North or West sides and there’s nothing. The City should grow as a whole and I believe that with new leadership, we can accomplish that.”
Torrence, who owns a landscaping business, also said traffic in overdeveloped areas could be reduced if more attention was paid to parts of town with little or no growth.
“Every area is a part of the Better Jacksonville Plan,” he said.
While in college, Torrence participated in mentoring programs for abused and at-risk children. He remains involved in similar efforts today and worked with Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. on a study called “Neighborhoods on the Tipping Point.”
“Children are the future of society,” said Torrence. “Without them, we aren’t going to make it.”
Torrence has one daughter whom he’s raised since infancy.
“I understand what single mothers go through,” he said. “I know because I’m a single father.”
When asked what qualifies him to run for Council, Torrence said it was simple.
“If you have concern for your city and if you care, that’s what makes a difference,” he said. “I have always tried to make a positive impact on the community. I just had a smaller soap box. Now I’m ready to help on a higher level.”