Former Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney, who is president of the University of North Florida, said Sunday that speculation he might jump into the 2015 mayor's race is just that.
"Just talk, I guess," Delaney said in an email Sunday. "I plan on remaining at UNF."
Delaney, a Republican, served as Jacksonville mayor from 1995-2003. He was named president of UNF after his two consecutive terms as mayor.
Delaney said the UNF board has tentatively agreed to a new five-year contract to be signed sometime next year. He said his current contract expires June 30, 2015.
Delaney was responding to speculation that surfaced recently he might run for mayor against incumbent Alvin Brown, the first Democrat elected as mayor in 20 years.
"Alvin will be pretty hard to beat, absent a scandal," Delaney said.
"Every mayor tends to get some version of one, I suppose. Some are terminal; some aren't," he said.
Delaney is one of several names, but the only former mayor so far, circulating as potential Republican candidates in the next mayoral election.
"Like all mayors, Alvin has developed his share of critics. Some question his management skills; some question his leadership and wonder about his vision. Some feel he avoids most of the difficult issues. All of us have weaknesses," Delaney wrote
"But he has pretty good political instincts and has positioned himself well. The economy tends to dictate the re-election of incumbent mayors, governors and presidents, with the last election the exception to the rule," he wrote
Brown is the seventh mayor elected since consolidation of the Jacksonville city and Duval County governments in 1968.
Democrats Hans Tanzler, Jake Godbold and Tommy Hazouri served from 1968-1991.
Tanzler served from 1968-79, resigning six months early to run for governor. Godbold was appointed to fill the last six months of Tanzler's term and then was elected to two terms, 1979-87.
Hazouri served from 1987-91 and then lost to Ed Austin, who ran as a Democrat and then became a Republican.
Austin chose to serve one term, 1991-95, was succeeded by Delaney for two terms. John Peyton, also a Republican, then served two terms.
Brown took office in July 2011.
Delaney served two consecutive terms, reaching the term limit, but the City Charter and Code of Ordinances spells out that "no mayor elected and qualified for two consecutive terms shall be eligible for election as mayor in the next succeeding term."
Delaney's second term ended almost a decade ago.
As generally happens, speculation about challengers starts early in an incumbent's first term.
"He may run into trouble raising money, though incumbents usually don't. Too many people need permits or are vendors to City Hall," Delaney said.
Delaney said voters look for alternatives. "Jacksonville likes 'new,' he said.
"Since 1991, every new mayor (Austin, me, Peyton, Brown) has been a fresh face in terms of thinking of mayoral candidates," he said.
Delaney said Austin did not think of running for mayor until six to nine months before the race.
"One could say the same about Jake in 1989 — he was only in the race because Hans resigned to run for governor and Jake was elevated to mayor about six months before the election," Delaney said.
"Tommy is the only front-runner with a profile who actually won. Typically the better-known names lose," he said.
Hazouri served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1974-86.
"I am actually the only incumbent mayor to run for re-election unopposed. So someone will get in," Delaney said.
"But I'm happy where I am."
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