Perennial commission candidate Corie Holmes hopes the fourth time is the charm

After three unsuccessful bids running for a seat on the Manatee County Commission, perennial candidate Corie Holmes is running for the fourth time.

But instead of running for a district commission seat, the Republican has filed to run for the District 6 at-large seat in 2018, challenging incumbent Carol Whitmore.

“Enough is enough,” Holmes said Monday. “You watched the board. It’s so sad. I’m born and raised here and well known. I know quite a few stakeholders in the community.”

Holmes, who ran for the District 1 commission seat in 2012 as a Democrat, the District 2 seat in 2014 as a Democrat, and District 1in 2016 as a Republican, said in the previous races some people didn’t get to vote.

“I think your chances are a lot better when you run at-large versus a district race,” Holmes said. “You never fail when you run a race. You learn.”

Whitmore, a Republican who was first elected as the District 6 commissioner in 2006 and re-elected in 2010, said Monday that she plans to run for re-election in 2018.

“I have every intention of running again,” she said, adding that she’s still working on social service issues.

Holmes has run three times in his community and has lost, Whitmore said.

“I just don’t understand his rationalization to run countywide when his own community doesn’t support him,” she said.

But Holmes said in the District 6 race, people want change.

“She’s a career politician,” he said. “That was one of the main reasons for running. People want change for that seat.”

Holmes said the current dynamics of the board is “clearly one-sided.”

“When you look at how Carol voted, she’s clearly gone against the people on several different issues,” he said. “She advocated to be the no-kill lead person and failed on that. There’s a lot.”

While the election is still nearly two years away, Holmes said he’s started getting signatures to get a spot on the ballot.

“Our community said no to at-large Commissioner Joe McClash,” Holmes said. “She’s in the same boat. People want change.”

McClash lost his 2012 re-election bid to Commissioner Betsy Benac.

This story was originally published November 21, 2016 at 11:07 AM with the headline "Perennial commission candidate Corie Holmes hopes the fourth time is the charm."