by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
The Duval County Republican Party would be forced to sit out an electoral contest between incumbent Mayor John Peyton and a Republican challenger, said party chairman Mike Hightower.
With Democrats still looking for a viable candidate to challenge Peyton in 2007, some observers are predicting that Peyton’s strongest competition could come from inside his party. In that scenario, the Republican party’s policies would prohibit the party from actively supporting either candidate, said Hightower.
Those policies prevent the party from taking sides in an inter-party contest. But until a Republican qualifies to enter the mayoral race, the party’s policy is to support all its incumbent office holders seeking re-election.
“If you’re an incumbent facing re-election, that’s our responsibility to support you,” said Hightower. “But once someone (a Republican) puts down their money and becomes a duly qualified candidate, then the Republican party must step away.”
The party machinery could still participate via get-out-the-vote efforts and other non-candidate-specific campaigning. But it couldn’t step back into active advocacy until the race narrowed to one Republican versus one or more Democrats. That might not happen unless the primary election leads to a runoff.
Hightower’s goals, since he was re-elected chairman in December, have focused on growing the party locally and electing Republicans in general.
“That was my platform for re-election, and these are the things I’m going to do as chairman: grow the party by increasing the number of registered voters, raise resources and elect Republicans. Those are the only things I’m concerned with. It’s all I’ve been working toward since I was elected,” said Hightower.
Hightower said he, or any party office holder, could support a candidate of their choosing as a private citizen. But they can’t offer the party’s endorsement until the end of the primary.
“Mike Hightower can support a candidate as a registered Republican, but I can’t get involved as an officer of the Republican Committee,” he said. “I can’t use my title, I can only invest my sweat equity. It’s an important distinction.”
Hightower and the party enjoyed substantial fund-raising success in the last election. Overall, the party spent $8.5 million during the 2003 election. Hightower wouldn’t estimate how much Republicans would raise in 2007, but he expects the number to climb.
Some observers think Peyton’s advocacy of reopening a Navy master jet base at Cecil Field could make Peyton vulnerable in 2007. But Hightower predicts Peyton will be a strong candidate, buoyed by his willingness to make tough decisions and his early literacy program for Duval County preschoolers.
“He had a tough call on the courthouse, but he held the line there,” said Hightower. “And he had a tough call in investing money to help 4-year-olds read even though that’s not going to pay political dividends until some time down the road.
“But it’s a critical need in Duval County, and now you have 8,000 4-year-olds learning to read. That’s leadership, that’s vision and that’s a record a candidate can run on. That’s what elections do; they provide an opportunity to talk about tough decisions an incumbent has made.”