Jacksonville is getting ready, again, for its close-up.
For a couple of hours Thursday, the political world’s attention will focus on a University of North Florida performance hall where Republican presidential candidates will debate once more before Florida’s Jan. 31 primary.
Four million people are expected to watch on CNN.
“UNF can’t buy that kind of advertising. We don’t have a budget to begin to address that kind of national and international exposure,” said Sharon Ashton, a UNF assistant vice president chairing a committee on debate preparations.
National spotlights aren’t unknown to Jacksonville, a city that can remember a Super Bowl, almost 20 years of pro football and a smattering of tabloid crime dramas.
But the region’s political role as a right-wing bulwark has been more understated, and the decision to have the debate in Jacksonville was welcomed by some conservatives.
“It means that Jacksonville is important for them,” said Billie Tucker, a leader of Northeast Florida’s tea party movement. “We’re proud that it’s here and we’re excited.”
Getting the area’s Republicans fired up now will pay dividends in November, said Lenny Curry, the Jacksonville resident who is chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.
“North Florida is critical for a Republican to win the state of Florida in a general election,” he said.
“A presidential primary debate here just energizes this area.”
Want tickets? Here's how (to try)
To open the event to rank-and-file members, the party is releasing many of its tickets through a lottery for which people signed up online.
“The response to the debate has been overwhelming,” said Curry, who said organizers are still working through the final details of how tickets will be split up for the event, being sponsored by CNN, the Republicans and the Hispanic Leadership Network.
The debate will be inside the Lazzara Performance Hall, a 1,300-seat chamber in UNF’s Fine Arts Center where CNN crews will make temporary modifications for the broadcast.
Parts of the school’s student union will be used for candidate interviews and for television live shots, while more than 100 print and online reporters are expected to work from the building’s ballroom.
With the debate chamber closed to most, a live feed is being routed to nearby Robinson Theater to accommodate 750 students. Tickets to that area are being distributed to select university departments.
Beyond the debate floor, Jacksonville boosters are hoping some of the spotlight falls on the rest of the town.
But it’s not clear yet how much that chance will be exploited.
“There will be a lot of eyes on Jacksonville,” said Michelle Danisovszky, a JAX Chamber spokeswoman.
“We are having discussions on what we can do to showcase the city. We don’t have anything concrete at the moment. But we may have something more Monday.”
Curry sees some benefit to the city happening almost by osmosis.
“We fill hotels, we have press from all over the country, people eating in restaurants. … Think of a Monday night football game,” he said.
Curry’s hoping those visitors will carry back impressions of the town when they go home, the same way other business travelers have before them.
“Jacksonville, for years, when people visit here or they move here," he said, "... they say, ‘Wow this has been one of the best-kept secrets in the country.’ ”
steve.patterson@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4263
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