Jacksonville is taking on an outsized role in former President Donald Trump’s Presidential campaign, with two local political figures taking on high-level positions.
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The latest, former Jacksonville Chief Administrative Officer Brian Hughes, was just confirmed to have been tapped to lead the Trump campaign’s Florida operations in recent days.
In a photo posted to social media Saturday, Hughes posed in front of Trump’s plane with Susie Wiles, another Northeast Florida political figure.
Wiles serves as senior advisor to the Trump campaign and she ran his Florida operations back in 2016.
“Jacksonville isn’t quite Mar-a-Lago, but the thing with politicos and these relationships is, they are relationships,” said UNF political science professor Dr. Michael Binder.
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With Hughes leaving Jacksonville city government after the mayoral transition, Binder said Hughes was likely an easy choice, as he and Wiles have worked together on various campaigns in the past.
“She’s not just running Florida like she had in the past. So, somebody needs to run the state. You’re going to reach out to people that you know and you’re familiar with if you have those people at your disposal,” said Binder.
As for what Hughes brings to the table, Binder argued Jacksonville residents should be quite familiar with his campaign style.
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“He’s got a history of lots of negative ads, targeting those ads, playing to the base, mobilizing base voters,” said Binder. “Listen, that can absolutely be an effective tactic. It wasn’t this past election cycle in Jacksonville, but certainly, there’s a history of success with that type of campaign style.”
The first test of Hughes’ effectiveness in Florida will likely come in March.
Governor Ron DeSantis glided to a 20-point reelection victory last year.
If Hughes can turn the tables and deliver a win for Trump in the Florida Primary, it could be a death blow for DeSantis’ Presidential aspirations.
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