by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
In 2000, attorney Charles McBurney ran for the Florida House of Representatives in Dist. 16 and came within a couple hundred votes of topping fellow attorney Mark Mahon.
“It was a very close race,” he said. “Two-hundred votes the other way and I’d be in Tallahassee today.”
Earlier this week, McBurney opened his campaign account with eyes on the seat next year.
Since Mahon has applied for the Fourth Judicial Circuit vacancy created when Circuit Court Judge A.C. Soud announced his retirement, his House seat may become open long before the September 2008 primary. If Mahon doesn’t get the gubernatorial appointment, he must step down in 2008 no matter what due to term limits.
“I am campaigning now,” said McBurney, who has his own business law practice on South Laura Street. “I’m going at it now. It could be a very long race or it could be a very short race. I have got to go at it now.”
McBurney’s only opponent as of now is City Council member Lad Daniels, who has also opened his account. Daniels recently announced his intention to run for Mahon’s seat, serve to two terms in the State House of Representatives then return to Jacksonville and run for Council again.
McBurney said facing a two-term Council member doesn’t concern him. His narrow defeat in 2000 taught him a few things, his resume is littered with service on various boards, commissions and associations and he believes serving in the Legislature is about being familiar with the issues his constituency faces.
“For me, it’s the issues you have at the state level. The things you deal with day-to-day are the issues before the State Legislature,” said McBurney. “I’ve been involved in governance and politics pretty much all my life.”
McBurney actually served as a page in the Florida House of Representatives when he was 10 years old. His step-father is Bill Chappell, a former U.S. Rep. who served the Jacksonville area for 20 years.
“I have been involved countless ways in many campaigns in every capacity,” he said.
McBurney said having his own firm will make it easier to run for office and serve, should he win.
“It is good to have your own firm. It’s hard to serve in Tallahassee and manage a business unless it’s your own business, your own firm, you are retired or you are independently wealthy,” he said. “When you own your own firm and serve in the Legislature at the same time, you get to live like your constituents.”
He said the 2000 race was an education in itself.
“There were so many lessons learned from tactics to strategy to how to get your word out,” he said. “Hopefully, those things will apply the next go ‘round.”
McBurney got both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida. He started his legal career in Jacksonville in 1982 with the firm of Mathews, Osborne, McNatt, Gobelman & Cobb. In February of 2004, he formed the Law Office of Charles W. McBurney Jr. His professional associations include membership in The Florida Bar Association, the Jacksonville Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Commercial Law League of America and the Jacksonville Bankruptcy Bar Association, just to name a few.
His civic involvement is extensive and includes being past chair of the Southeast Citizens Planning Advisory Committee. McBurney has been current general counsel for the Duval County Republican Party Executive Committee since 2002. Last year, the Southside Businessmen’s Club named him the Small Business Person of the Year.