by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
The monthly Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) luncheon normally includes equal helpings of politics and seafood, but the former was a little bit bigger at Wednesday’s gathering because of the upcoming special election.
In a quick announcement before the food line started, FOP President Nelson Cuba announced the Union’s candidates for the open State Senate and Duval County School Board seats.
“Though Art Graham and Dan Quiggle have been friends to law enforcement, the Fraternal Order of Police will be supporting John Thrasher for State Senate and Martha Barrett for School Board District 1,” said Cuba.
The FOP leader later explained why the Union chose the candidates it did.
“One of our big concerns with the loss of (State) Senator Jim King was the big void in experience and leadership created by his departure,” said Cuba. “We feel that John Thrasher, who is a former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, will bring that same type of experience and leadership.”
Quiggle was the first State Senate candidate to arrive at the FOP Hall and was hard at work trying to introduce himself and his platform to the people attending the luncheon, which included policemen, firemen, lawyers, politicians and judges.
“I’m not a career politician,” said Quiggle. “I’m a businessman who knows about job creation.”
City Council member and State Senate candidate Graham also appeared at the luncheon, and he will join former State Rep. Stan Jordan and Joshua Larose in the race that will end with a Sept. 15 special primary election. Currently, all state senate candidates are Republicans.
Barrett and Cathie Pitman Shimp have filed to run for the School Board Dist. 1 seat vacated by Jordan. Barrett is a former School Board member and Shimp ran against Jordan in the 2008 primary for the Dist. 1 seat, earning 25.32 percent of 14,083 votes to Jordan’s 39.01 percent.
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