The Jacksonville Association of Fire Fighters (JAFF) is getting behind a Democrat looking to flip Florida’s 4th Congressional District.
“Jacksonville’s firefighters know what it means to answer the call, and they also know what it means to fight for what’s right,” said JAFF President Kelly Dobson.
“Our members want leaders who will stand with firefighters and working families, protect the benefits we have earned, and push back when Washington threatens the retirement security our people counted on. Michael Kirwan understands that fight, and our members know he’ll stand with us.”
Kirwan said he values the endorsement from one of Jacksonville’s most high-profile and politically potent public sector labor unions.
“I’m proud to have the support of the Jacksonville firefighters,” Kirwan said. “These are the people who show up for our community on its hardest days, and they deserve leaders who will show up for them. That means protecting retirement security, defending the benefits they’ve earned, supporting public safety, and making sure the people who risk their lives for us are never treated like an afterthought in Washington.”
The JAFF endorsement continues momentum for Kirwan, a Jacksonville native and longtime securities lawyer who has served as Chair of the Jacksonville Ethics Commission and President of Scenic Jacksonville. Kirwan is seeking to unseat second-term incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean.
Other Kirwan backers include state Sen. Tracie Davis, former Senate Democratic Leader and current Florida House candidate Audrey Gibson, former state Sen. Tony Hill, Democratic City Councilman Jimmy Peluso, Duval School Board members Warren Jones and Darryl Willie, and former City Councilmen Howard Dale and Jim Love.
The support is meaningful, given the registration advantage Republicans have. The district, which includes Nassau County, Clay County and some of Duval County, is 41% Republican and 34% Democrat.
