by David Chapman
Staff Writer
The political landscape of Jacksonville is dotted with names and faces of officials who have turned to John Daigle for campaign consultation and strategy.
From 1998 when he was a communications manager and consultant for Matt Carlucci’s City Council victory to one of his current roles assisting attorney Adrian Soud in his bid for a seat on 4th Judicial Circuit Court later this year, Daigle has been behind the scenes of many campaigns and continues to do so from his Mandarin-based public relations, marketing and advertising agency, Principle Creative, which he founded in 2006.
Yet, while Daigle and Principle Creative do everything from media buying to advertising and direct mail, it’s the political aspect of the business that still piques Daigle’s interest.
Politically charged
“I’m hooked on politics,” said Daigle. “In politics, you usually have a winner and a loser and see tangible results. I’m a competitive person and I don’t like to lose.”
Daigle’s been on the winning side more often than not.
Other than Carlucci’s victory in 1998, Daigle assisted in winning campaigns for Don Wolfson as Atlantic Beach mayor and Tommy Hazouri as Duval County School Board member in 2005 and Daniel Davis, Bill Bishop and Denise Lee for City Council seats in 2007.
“Politics is interesting because of all the different characters involved,” he said. “They all have different personalities and policies.”
Occasionally, he‘s taken the stance less popular with some of his colleagues and officials.
David vs. Goliath
It wasn’t a particular politician or candidate, but rather two different movements he assisted that made the biggest headlines.
In 2005, the issue of Cecil Field reopening as a Navy base was a hot button topic supported by numerous state and local officials as well as Navy proponents, but vehemently opposed by Westside residents who didn’t want their quality of life or property values decreased.
The decks were stacked against the residents, but former Council member Alberta Hipps asked Daigle to meet with them.
“The residents said it was wrong and they had done their research,” he said. “Even with all the obstacles in place, I decided to help and everyone said I was crazy for doing it.”
It was, as Daigle puts it, a “David vs. Goliath” type of battle. However, the doubts of colleagues, family and officials helped motivate him.
Eventually, as a campaign manager and consultant for the Better Westside Project, Daigle helped turn the tide of support and opinions in the residents’ favor to the tune of a 60-40 vote against the referendum.
“It was the best decision for the community,” said Hipps. “He (Daigle) accomplished a lot on some very difficult issues and did it with a lot of respect and integrity.”
One of the only downfalls of working on the case was being labeled as unpatriotic.
“That hurt a little, but it was far from the truth,” he said. “They just come as part of the job.”
Daigle’s success with Cecil Field made him an attractive option to residents around Craig Airport and their representative, Council member Bill Bishop, when the Jacksonville Aviation Authority proposed legislation that would have permitted the extension of one of the airport’s runways.
“The resident’s knew his success with Cecil (Field) and sought him out,” said Bishop. “I wasn’t officially with them, but I worked with the residents and we were on the same side.”
In a similar David vs. Goliath role opposing more powerful and well-funded opposition, Daigle helped the residents who formed the Craig Community Covenant reverse a City Council vote that originally approved the measure and JAA eventually pulled the legislation.
Seeing it from all angles
Daigle hasn’t always been on the public relations side of the political fence – he actually cut his political teeth in the news world, covering politics as a reporter for both the Daytona Beach News-Journal and The Florida Times-Union as well as other roles. But, it was a matter of timing that allowed him to pursue his journalistic passion.
He grew up in a military family, was a military man and went to the University of Florida with military assistance and the idea of serving his country after graduation. But, upon graduation in 1989, with post-Reagan military cuts, Daigle was given the option to serve or spend eight years in the National Guard.
“Journalism was my passion and I wanted to pursue it if I could,” he said. “When they gave me the option, I decided to take it.”
Daigle went to the News-Journal soon after and spent two years covering politics, government, the environment and state parks – but his real goal was to be closer to Jacksonville and work for the Times Union.
“I did everything I could think of but couldn’t even get a sniff there,” he said. “So I decided to get my master’s at UF, thinking that might make me more attractive.”
Life as a full-time graduate student didn’t last long.
In his first days back at UF, Daigle was offered a position at the Times-Union as a political reporter. He took it, but with one caveat – he would have one day a week to make the trek back to Gainesville to continue pursuing his master’s.
They agreed, and he covered all things government as the paper’s lead political reporter for over two years.
It was there he struck up a friendship with one of his mentors, former Times-Union political reporter and current political consultant Mike Tolbert.
“He’d come to me for advice and like the old fart I was, I liked it,” said Tolbert. “He never asked questions or approached topics with a sense of malice. Today, he has the same high degree of honesty and respect when he consults, which is really a rare trait you don’t find often.”
Daigle was starting a family, though, and stepped down to spend more time with them and find work that was less demanding of his time.
After several years with roles as director of public information for the Florida National Guard and editor-in-chief of the Jacksonville Business Journal, he became public relations and communications director at Jacksonville University from 1997–2005.
Daigle’s various career roles, he said, helped him become well-rounded and able to better serve clients.
“I believe I can see things from many perspectives,” he said. “I will always have the heart of a journalist... many who have done nothing but public relations don’t always see things with skepticism or in a different light, which can hurt a client.”
Family, fun and future
Being your own boss has pros and cons, said Daigle, but ultimately it’s gratifying.
“It’s a lot of work,” he said. “But if I need to take an afternoon off for anything, I can work around it.”
With a full list of clients — and a full-time staff of five that includes his wife, Renay, and partner Dave Whitlock — Daigle said he finds himself “pleasantly busy.”
But, he’s never too busy to coach his daughters’ — Hannah and Bailey — soccer teams.
“I love coaching them,” he said. “It’s kind of a retreat for me, the complete opposite of being in an office.”
Other than coaching, he spends countless hours watching the Disney Channel with both and counts a children friendly movie that he can laugh at as a small victory.
“They’re at the ‘Hannah Montana’ age,” he said. “I think that kind of explains it all.”
Daigle wants to grow Principle Creative slowly, but plans on being active in both the business and political worlds. This year alone, he is involved in the campaigns of Soud, both Robert Bradley and Travis Cummings for Clay County Board of County Commissioners and Hazouri, who’s seeking re-election.
Daigle said he’ll continue to consult and strategize ethically because it’s what keeps his reputation intact – something he said anyone who wants to work in his field has to maintain.
While he doesn’t believe he’s made real enemies in Northeast Florida, he knows everyone (and even people he’s worked on the same team with in the past) will not agree on every issue he delves into. But he maintains respect for them and hopes they do likewise.
“Jacksonville is too small a town to make enemies,” he said. “You have to guard your reputation and protect it well or you don’t have a chance on being successful.”