‘A change of direction.’ Bradenton voters bring new era of all-Republican leadership
With decisive victories in the midterm elections, Manatee County voters have ushered in a new era of Republican leadership.
On the Board of County Commissioners, Republican candidates Mike Rahn and Jason Bearden skated to victory against their lesser-known write-in opponents, while Amanda Ballard defeated Reggie Bellamy, the only Democrat on the board.
In a non-partisan school board race, Cindy Spray, a school board candidate backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, defeated Harold Byrd Jr. In August, Manatee County’s other DeSantis-endorsed school board candidates — Chad Choate and Richard Tatem — also won their elections.
Republican candidates across the nation didn’t see the sweep of victories they expected, but Florida largely delivered on the GOP’s promise of a red wave.
According to voter turnout data provided by the local Supervisor of Elections Office, Republican voters outnumbered Democrats two-to-one in Manatee County’s midterm election.
Tuesday’s results mark the first time in recent memory that Manatee County has elected an all-Republican board. For the past several decades, there has been at least one Democrat on the board.
Conservative officials embrace county control
In interviews with the Bradenton Herald, board members said voters spoke clearly to voice their support for conservative leadership.
“For the past two election cycles, Manatee County voters have said they wanted a change of direction,” said Commissioner George Kruse, who was elected in 2020 alongside two other conservative candidates. “They want a dynamic board that thinks outside the box and isn’t focused on what’s been done in the past.”
In a tweet posted Friday afternoon, Kruse shared a photo showing drastic board turnover in the past four years. “The people have spoken!” the photo said, including a picture of 2018’s commissioners above a picture of the newly elected board.
Each of the candidates used the same political strategist in their successful campaigns, Anthony Pedicini.
Two years ago, voters across the county elected three new commissioners who campaigned on the promise of conservative Republican leadership. Since then, the board has reorganized county staff, lowered the tax rate and prioritized infrastructure improvements.
“The people of Manatee County know what the needs are. They know what we need and they want to see it done, which is exactly why they voted,” said Commissioner Vanessa Baugh. “We didn’t put this board together, the citizens did.”
“I think Manatee County voters are happy with the changes that have taken place in the last two years, and they’re happy with the shift in priorities since a conservative majority took over the Board of County Commissioners,” added Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge. “They want more of the same.”
Newly elected commissioners said they look forward to joining the board and delivering on their promise to keep Manatee County moving in a positive direction.
“I wanted to make it really clear in my campaign that even though I’m a Republican, I’m running to represent all of the voters in District 2. I think that message really resonated with people and ultimately that’s how we ended up with the result we did,” said Ballard.
But some of the board’s decisions have not gone over well with members of the public. Since 2020, commissioners have come under fire for seeking to pass new legislation that would ban abortion clinics in Manatee County, approving controversial district maps and naming a neighborhood park after DeSantis, moves criticized by activists as political stunts.
Outgoing commissioners blame political tricks
Board members have also been accused of political tricks by sitting commissioners, who said they believed the board’s conservative majority used its power against them. During an Oct. 20 public meeting, the board voted to cancel all remaining regular meetings until after the election, effectively shortening the outgoing commissioners’ time on the board.
“Some of the board members are very, very power hungry,” said Commissioner Carol Whitmore, who chided board members for snide comments and behavior during public meetings.
In recent months, Commissioners Whitmore and Misty Servia said they have had difficulty securing private time with County Administrator Scott Hopes. In an Oct. 10 email obtained by the Bradenton Herald, Whitmore and Hopes traded barbs over a canceled meeting.
“...What could you possibly need to meet with me about given your bias and attitude?” Hopes asked.
“You are preventing me from carrying out my obligations as a commissioner (by) not meeting with staff,” Whitmore wrote back. “Your failure to lead professionally is obvious today.”
Servia described similar complaints with Hopes, pointing to staff reorganizations that were made with little or no input from commissioners. In one example, Servia said she struggled to get information from county staff about incoming changes to the Coquina Beach Market.
Outgoing commissioners said their departure was aided by a redistricting process that swung the county’s districts into a Republican advantage and write-in candidates that took advantage of a legal loophole to create closed primary elections.
“I think it’s dangerous to have all seven people who think exactly the same way,” Servia said. “The best boards are diverse with different backgrounds and different perspectives, so I think we’ve been short-changed.”
What happens next?
With full Republican influence over the board, commissioners said they expect the county government’s operation to run smoothly and efficiently. Board members also pushed back on the idea that like-minded officials will always agree.
“I’m hoping for a little more cordial environment. We’re seven different people and you don’t run for office if you don’t have your own personality. We’re not identical, but we can all work toward the same common good with a differing of opinion,” Kruse said. “The general direction of the wind will be blown in the same way.”
Over the past two years, Manatee County’s public meetings have routinely devolved into back-and-forth arguments between commissioners and outright displays of disdain for one another. On controversial issues, Servia, Whitmore and Bellamy had no problem standing up to their more conservative counterparts.
Those disagreements over county government policies resulted in meetings that ran hours longer than expected. A new board hopes to put an end to those kinds of arguments.
“I think you’ll find that this board will not sit back and discuss something for an hour and a half,” Baugh said. “We all know where we’re at on the issues. We’ll say our piece and move to the next item. I think this board will get some quick, hard, firm results in the areas we need.”
In conversations with the Bradenton Herald, some local voters said they are split on whether the new board will be a positive change for Manatee County. John Bozick, an 84-year-old Bradenton resident, said he left the Republican Party after 55 years, citing officials’ departure from core values.
“These people don’t seem to have the same ideas about conservatism and so forth. As for the new commissioners, we’ll just have to wait and see,” Bozick said.
Rick Foltz, a Bradenton resident and registered Republican, disagreed with some commissioners’ suggestion that public meetings will run more smoothly without any board members on the opposing party.
“There has to be a dissenting voice, no matter how small,” said Foltz, 72. “To me, that’s how we see we’re on the right track. Even if you’re on the opposing political camp, these people are interested in serving our community and they sharpen our perspective on what we need to get done.”
The newly elected commissioners will have a swearing-in ceremony at 9 a.m. Nov. 22 at the Manatee County Administration Building, 1112, Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton. The new board’s first meeting will be held Nov. 29.
