from staff
State House of Representatives candidate Mario Rubio has tabbed some of the area’s best-known and most experienced political advisors in his bid for the Dist. 17 seat.
Rubio’s campaign team includes The Dalton Agency, Donna Barrow, Teresa Eichner of Voices, Votes & Victories Inc. and Dave Sackett of the Tarrance Group.
If that team looks a bit familiar, it should. A few were part of attorney Charles McBurney’s bid for the Dist. 16 seat that became available last spring when former State Rep. Mark Mahon was appointed by former Gov. Charlie Crist to replace Circuit Court Judge A.C. Soud, who retired. McBurney beat former City Council member Lad Daniels for the seat.
“The Dalton Agency is very good at the public relations work they do and they have someone working for them, Michelle Querry, who I trust explicitly. Dalton has the network to help get the message out,” said Rubio, adding that Barrow’s specialty lies in gathering data and working the “grassroots” side of a political campaign.
“Teresa Eichner has a very good political mind and she worked for Paul McCormick (The McCormick Agency owner) for a long time. She’s good at reading politics and she’ll help frame the campaign,” added Rubio. “And, Dave Sackett is without question one of the best out there.”
Rubio works for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida in the company’s government and legislative relations department. He’s been with the company for 30 years and in Jacksonville for 31. With grown kids, Rubio said, he sees this as an opportunity to help the area.
“We have come a long way, but we are not there yet,” said Rubio. “I have spent a lot of time in Tallahassee the past two years and I have met a lot of people. Politics is about relationships and I have established a lot of good ones.”
Rubio is running against former City Council member Lake Ray and former Deputy Clerk of the Court Gordon Morgan. All three are vying for Stan Jordan’s seat on the Legislature. Jordan cannot run again due to term limits.