Commissioner Benac no longer seeking re-election. Hunzeker is running for her seat now
Commissioner Betsy Benac is no longer seeking re-election to the Board of County Commissioners in November.
The two-term commissioner and current chairman of the board made the announcement in a Thursday afternoon press release, suggesting that she wants to spend more time with her family. Benac says she will finish her term, which ends later in 2020.
“After careful consideration and discussions with my family, I’ve made the tough decision to withdraw my candidacy for re-election to the County Commission,” Benac said in a prepared statement.
“My family is the most important thing to me, and now, more than ever, I need to focus on them. It has been an honor to serve the great people of Manatee County for the last eight years and I am grateful for the community support that I have received along the way,” she continued.
Within minutes of Benac’s announcement, Ed Hunzeker, former county administrator, announced that he would switch from running for the District 5 seat now held by Commissioner Vanessa Baugh and run for Benac’s at-large seat in District 7 instead.
“I’m terribly sorry to hear that Commissioner Benac has decided against seeking re-election this year,” said Hunzeker, also a Republican.
“My experience, especially during these unprecedented times, is best suited to represent the entire county,” he added. “I served Manatee County for over 10 years and helped lead us through the Great Recession. We can and will get through this together.”
Reached for comment Thursday, Hunzeker explained that he chose to run in District 5 because he didn’t want to compete against Benac, who he said shares many of his ideas on how to run local government. After he learned that she would end her re-election campaign, switching districts was an easy decision.
“When I decided to run, I knew that Betsy was going to run again and since our philosophies are well-aligned, I didn’t want to challenge her. When I got the word she would end her candidacy, I knew that I would switch,” he said. “I’ve spent so many years knowing issues throughout the entire county, I’d prefer that to a district seat.”
Benac, a Republican, was first elected in 2012, and has an extensive background in comprehensive planning. She worked for Manatee County’s planning department for more than 10 years before switching to the private sector.
“We’ve had an incredible amount of growth economically and the quality of life has been maintained in Manatee County,” Benac said of her past eight years as a commissioner.
Hunzeker had already announced his intention of running for the District 5 seat, which represents Lakewood Ranch, Myakka City and other parts of East Manatee.
In an interview with the Bradenton Herald, Benac announced that she would endorse Hunzeker in his bid for the District 7 seat. As a commissioner, Benac was one of Hunzeker’s bosses for about six years.
“He has the track record. He has leadership qualities that I respected when he was county administrator,” said Benac. “Certainly it’s a change when you’re a policymaker, his budget experience is invaluable.”
Also running for the District 7 seat is Republican Paul Finer, who has raised $8,000 for his campaign.
Hunzeker’s campaign has $52,000 in fundraising. Baugh, who initially trailed Hunzeker in fund-raising shortly after announcing her re-election campaign, has now raised more than $72,000.
Reached for comment Thursday afternoon, Baugh said she felt the COVID-19 crisis was more pressing than a shakeup on the campaign trail.
“I’m not concerning myself with what other people are doing with their political aspirations. I’m focused on getting us through the pandemic and then continue to move Manatee forward,” she said. “That’s what I was elected to do.”
Commissioner Stephen Jonsson has also announced that he isn’t seeking re-election later this year. Two Republican candidates, Kevin Van Ostenbridge and Matt Bower, are running for his District 3 seat, representing West Bradenton, Cortez and Anna Maria Island.
This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 2:28 PM.
