Election Qualifying Day Surprises!

Several surprise announcements have come up today in the Jacksonville political scene as the deadline for qualifying for the spring elections was at noon today. In Council District 4, Linda Storey, a retired educator, qualified at the last minute to run against a crowded field of challengers that include: George Banks, Earl Johnson Jr. and Don Redman. There is no returning incumbent in this district.

In Council District 14 Dave Siebert, who is a radio talk show host and previously had announced he was running for Mayor, changed his mind to file and run against the sitting incumbent Michael Corrigan and already announced challenger Jim Minion.
 
 The biggest surprise of the day though was in District 5 where Leslie Goller, a trial attorney with Terrell & Hogan, qualified just before the cutoff time.  Goller is known for working on the recent lawsuit to make qualifying easier for Council candidates and for her work with the San Marco Preservation Society.  She is said to be in full swing with her election campaign within 2 weeks.  In speaking with one of Goller's close friends, there is a thought that Art Shad is very vulnerable because of his recent attendance at a drug rehab clinic.  While Shad has said the visit was for an addiction to painkillers.  Inside sources at the Goller campaign implied there may be more to the story though, saying, "We know the truth and are willing to expose it."