According to a new University of North Florida poll, Mayor Alvin Brown’s approval rating has dropped in the past year, but he still leads all potential challengers for re-election.
Brown’s approval rating has dropped from 70 to 59 percent. He leads Republicans Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford, City Council President Bill Gulliford, State Party Chair Lenny Curry and property appraiser Jim Overton in hypothetical head to head contests.
UNF political science professor Michael Binder said it’s been a tough year for Mayor Brown, but there is plenty of time to change political course.
"It's interesting to see how this will play out come the next election and what that means going forward," he said. "Does this trend continue or does he stop the bleeding so to speak and turn it around once he gets into campaign mode."
Binder says if the Republicans are able to recruit a well-known candidate he expects the race to be close.
No major candidate has filed yet to run against Brown. The next Jacksonville municipal elections are in the spring of 2015.
You can follow Kevin Meerschaert on Twitter @KMeerschaertJax.
