Who won Bradenton City Council race with Sanders, Moore, Landefeld? Here are results

Bradenton City Council candidate Lisa Gonzalez Moore defeated Councilman Bill Sanders in Tuesday’s election, marking the end of the embattled official’s time in office.

Gonzalez Moore earned 39% of the vote in the citywide race against Sanders, who was first elected to serve on the board in 2018. Speaking with the Bradenton Herald, Moore thanked supporters and looked forward to becoming a city leader.

Moore’s campaign priorities include addressing infrastructure issues and creating a “long-range, viable plan” to make Bradenton a more attractive city for younger residents.

Moore could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

Kurt Landefeld, another challenger in the race, won 36% of the vote and Sanders earned 25% of the vote, according to the unofficial election results posted Tuesday night by the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office.

Sanders’ defeat signals the end of a tumultuous period for the councilman, who recently came under fire from his fellow board members and city staff when they called attention to his conduct during private and public meetings.

Earlier this year, city officials hired a third-party labor firm to conduct an investigation into accusations of a hostile work environment against Sanders. An investigator found evidence that the elected official had shown “abusive and threatening behavior” toward staff.

More recently, City Administrator Rob Perry moved to bar Sanders from one wing of City Hall, where about 20 employees work in Bradenton’s Information Technology, Accounting and Administration departments.

Thirteen city staffers signed a letter in October detailing complaints about Sanders, who they accused of yelling at them and threatening their jobs.

Sanders has repeatedly pushed back on the findings of the investigation and written complaints from employees, alleging without evidence that the report was “phony” and that employees were forced to sign the letter.

Sanders did not respond to the Bradenton Herald’s request for comment Tuesday night.

Moore will be sworn in as a council member during a Jan. 3 ceremony. Moore’s first public meeting as a councilwoman will be Jan. 11.

This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 8:37 PM.

Ryan Callihan

Bradenton Herald

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Ryan Callihan is the Bradenton Herald’s Senior Editor. As a reporter in Manatee County, he won awards for his local government and environmental coverage. Ryan is a graduate of USF St. Petersburg. Support my work with a digital subscription