by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Leonard “Lenny” Curry was elected chair of the Duval County Republican Executive Committee Monday, but he’s been interested in the party’s politics for as long as he can remember.
“My parents were very engaged watching the television during Watergate and Richard Nixon’s resignation. I was only two years old, but I remember what was going on,” he said.
Curry registered as a Republican when he was in high school and first became actively involved in the political process in 2000 when he worked for Ander Crenshaw’s campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. That experience gave him an understanding of the “grass roots” aspect of politics. It’s also an aspect of his job as county party chair that will factor into the party’s local strategy.
“It’s amazing to see how many people show up to participate in events and volunteer to knock on doors or make phone calls,” said Curry. “We have volunteers who do everything from getting people to register to vote to campaigning in their neighborhoods and precincts to picking people up and taking them to the polls on election day.”
Curry said he also understands the importance on new technology when it comes to the political process. He even used some high-tech campaigning in his bid to be Duval County chair.
“I used YouTube to communicate my message,” he said. “If the presidential election taught us anything it’s that we have to embrace e-mail and text messages and all the new technologies if we’re going to reach the next generation of voters. It doesn’t matter if it’s low-tech or high-tech. You can have the best product or message, but it doesn’t matter if it can’t be effectively and efficiently distributed. Duval County’s Republican Party is going to be about constant communication.”
He’s also studying what’s on the the opposition party’s collective mind. On Curry’s desk is a book titled, “The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Elections.”
“The Democrats are reading this,” he said.
Curry is a CPA and co-founder and managing director of ICX Group, an accounting and financial services company headquartered in Jacksonville with another office in Tampa. He said he’ll be balancing family, work and politics as party chair.
“I woke up Tuesday morning (after he was elected) and had to get to the office to be at a staff meeting,” he said. “I realize managing the business and politics will be challenging, but I’m big into prioritizing. My motto is the busier I am the more I can get done. I’m just not going to have much time to hang out in front of the TV or the Internet.”
Curry also commented about the timing of his assumption of the leadership role.
“This is a very unique time in politics. Locally, we just elected the first Republican and first female State Attorney and the first Republican Public Defender,” said Curry. He also pointed out that despite Democrat Barack Obama being elected president, “We kept Duval County’s legislative leadership, so I don’t think we have experienced a big local shift.”
With more than two years until the next major election, Curry said it’s time to start planning and enhancing Duval County’s Republican Party.
“There’s lots of time until the spring 2011 election. I’m confident we will have a full slate of qualified Republican candidates in the race for mayor. We’ll be motivating volunteers and raising money. It’s the mother’s milk of politics,” he said.
Curry is also looking forward to learning from those who have already been there in terms of local politics.
“One thing I have learned in business is to draw on the wisdom of those who have gone before you. I’m not afraid to ask for guidance,” he said.
Two days into his chairmanship of the executive committee, Curry said he knows there is a lot to be done, but he’s focused on the most important task at hand.
“My job is to make sure Jacksonville has a Republican mayor in 2011,” he said.
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