Jacksonville City Councilwoman Anna Brosche wants to be the next mayor of Jacksonville. She announced her candidacy on Friday, just before the deadline. The city election is on March 19.
Meanwhile, City Councilman Garrett Dennis announced that he is not seeking the mayor's seat, but rather he's seeking re-election of the council seat.
Denis told First Coast News that he is supporting Broche's run to unseat current Mayor Lenny Curry.
Dennis released the following statement:
Brosche, a former City Council president, emerged as a prominent political voice over the past year, a turbulent time for Jacksonville City Council.
She was a vocal critic of a possible sale of the city utility, JEA, leading to public tensions with Curry.
At one point Brosche, as acting president, denied Curry at the city hall podium when she disagreed with his reasoning for calling a meeting over JEA.
“As far as us agreeing or not agreeing I think that’s a healthy part of public discourse,” said Brosche.
Another notable moment that stood out for Brosche last year was when she stated that she wanted to take down confederate statues from the public and move them into museums.
“ I want to do the will of the people,” said Brosche.
Who is Anna Brosche?
She’s a Jacksonville native who graduated with a master’s degree in accountancy UNF. She’s married to a Navy Reserve Lieutenant Commander and they have three children.
She started her career with Ernst and Young before serving as the finance director for a local tech law firm. Fast forward to 2019 and she’s the managing shareholder of Ennis Pullum and Associates CPAs, while continuing her work as an at-large member of city council.
Brosche has served on several community boards, including the Jacksonville Women’s Network, and she mentors young professionals through local programs.
“It’s really not so much for myself, but making sure I’m doing what the citizens want me to do,” said Brosche.
In response to an attack ad paid for by a group supporting Curry’s re-election bid but released weeks before her candidacy, Brosche’s political advisor tells us the ad is part of the reason Brosche wants to run, saying, “Mayor Curry and his cronies are more concerned about their political survival than running the city” and that “[The ad] reeks of desperation on many fronts, but unfortunately is not surprising considering the source."
With her announcement, Curry’s most well-known opponent will now join him on the Republican ticket, vying for your vote.