Manatee County Florida elects all-Republican commission after lone Democrat defeated

Voters decided who will fill three Manatee County commission seats in Tuesday’s general election.

In the District 2 race, incumbent Reggie Bellamy, the lone Democrat on the seven-person commission, was ousted by a political newcomer, Republican Amanda Ballard.

In races for two other seats, Republican primary winners Jason Bearden and Mike Rahn walked to easy victories against write-in candidates.

A runoff race for a seat on Manatee County School Board was also decided, with Republican-endorsed Cindy Spray defeating Democrat-endorsed Harold E. Byrd Jr.

Here’s a look at the results.

Manatee County Commission

Three Manatee County Commission primary races were on local ballots Tuesday.

In the race for the the District 2 seat, Republican newcomer Amanda Ballard had a decisive victory over Democratic incumbent Reggie Bellamy. Ballard drew about 59% of the vote.

Ballard, originally from South Carolina, is a child welfare attorney and board member of local organization Feeding Empty Little Tummies.

“We were expecting a very, very close victory. It’s been a great night,” Ballard told the Bradenton Herald.

On the campaign trail, Ballard’s stated priorities included ending the opioid epidemic, adding more workforce housing and fixing infrastructure problems.

“I’m most excited to put the middle class forward in District 2,” Ballard said. “I’m excited to listen to people and to understand what people are actually dealing with in our part of the county.”

Ballard will be the first Republican to hold the District 2 seat in at least 30 years.

Bellamy, a Bradenton native, was first elected to the commission in 2018. The U.S. Army veteran was previously a dean at Buffalo Creek Middle School in Palmetto and executive director of the Palmetto Youth Center.

Bellamy was the sole Democrat on the county commission, often casting the dissenting vote on politically charged issues.

“This was a great experience to serve at another level,” Bellamy told the Bradenton Herald on Tuesday night. “I wish Amanda the best and I hope our district can continue to perform.”

In the race for at-large commissioner, Jason Bearden handily won against write-in opponents Robert Lesher and Manuel Antonio Llamas. Bearden received about 93% of the vote.

Bearden, a political newcomer, won a three-way Republican primary in August and ousted incumbent Carol Whitmore, the longest-seated county commissioner.

In the District 4 race, Mike Rahn, also a political newcomer, took about 91% against two write-in opponents, Daniel Hansen and Timothy Norwood.

Ballard, Bearden and Rahn will join commissioners Vanessa Baugh, Kevin Van Ostenbridge, George Kruse and James Satcher on an all-Republican commission.

Commissioners on the seven-person board are elected to four-year terms.

Manatee County School Board, District 2

Cindy Spray has defeated Harold E. Byrd Jr. in a runoff race for the District 2 seat on the School Board.

In her campaign, Spray promised a “back to basics” approach to leading the district with a focus on reading, writing and arithmetic. She also touted herself as an advocate of “parental rights” over what is taught in classrooms.

Spray and Byrd advanced to Tuesday’s general election runoff after receiving the most votes in a three-way race in August. In the primary, Spray received the highest number of votes with a 4% edge over Byrd, but it was not enough for a victory.

Spray, originally from Indiana, is a foster care advocate and serves as vice president of the Manatee County Foster & Adoptive Parent Association and was also on the Citizens’ Financial Oversight Committee for the school district.

Byrd, a Manatee County native, previously served as a Bradenton city councilman for five terms. He left the position in 2020, when he made an unsuccessful bid for mayoral office. He is currently on the city’s Central CRA advisory board.

Byrd held a narrow lead early in the night, but as election day votes rolled in, Spray climbed ahead by more than 1,100 votes. With all precincts reporting, Spray had more than 53% of the vote.

Though technically a non-partisan position, races for school board have become increasingly politically charged in recent years. In Manatee County, Spray touted endorsements from Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Republican politicians, as well as local conservative groups.

Byrd’s endorsements included the local teacher’s union, the Democratic Public Education Caucus of Manasota and several LGBTQ+ groups.

Spray will join school board members Chad Choate, Mary Foreman, Gina Messenger and Richard Tatem.

School board members serve four-year terms.

Choate won reelection in the Aug. 23 primary. He was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2021 to fill a vacancy left by Scott Hopes, who left to take the role of Manatee County administrator.

Richard Tatem, a political newcomer, also won his seat in the August primary, beating out incumbent and school board chair James T. Golden.

Elected in 2020, Foreman is halfway through her first term on the school board. And Messenger, the school board’s current vice-chair, is now the board’s longest-serving member; she was first elected in 2016 and reelected in 2020.

This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 9:49 PM.