Five Florida political candidates visited Village of the Arts. Here’s what they had to say

Candidates for city, county, state and national office gathered in the cozy dining area of Ortygia Restaurant in Bradenton’s Village of the Arts on Monday night to speak to potential voters.

Addressing a small crowd of village residents and locals, the candidates underlined their campaign goals and sought volunteers, support and votes.

The meet and greet was organized by Dona Musitano, owner of Village Voices, an art gallery and book shop in Village of the Arts.

Musitano, a self-described political activist, did not go through any official channels to arrange the event, but instead reached out directly to the candidates.

Musitano says she wanted to be able to ask the candidates questions face-to-face.

“We really have so many reasons for change, and the people who are running on the blue ticket really seem to have our best interests at heart,” Musitano said.

Here are some highlights from the candidates’ talks.

Bill Sanders, candidate for Bradenton City Council, discussed his Indiana farm upbringing and his four decades of business experience. Sanders criticized his opponent, incumbent Bemis Smith, for lack of a moral compass and for his failure to take any significant action during his time in office.

Sanders said he wants to improve infrastructure and address issues that are critical to the city’s future, including a lack of affordable housing. Sanders also promised to support the continued growth of Village of the Arts.

“You need better signage, a better support system and someone to stick up for you,” Sanders said.

Melton Little, Democratic candidate for Manatee County Commision, District 4, spoke next. Though residents of Village of the Arts are not in Little’s district, the candidate said he wants to stress how important this election is for the county’s future.

Little said that the next county commission will rewrite the land development code and comprehensive plan for the county.

“They will be setting the tone for how this county is going to grow for the next 20 years,” Little said.

Little also discussed promoting responsible, environmentally friendly development in Manatee County.

Liv Coleman, Democratic candidate for Florida House District 73, talked about the “strong sense of social justice” that her parents passed on to her, as well as her educational background, which includes a Ph.D. in political science and time spent as a research fellow with Harvard University.

Coleman highlighted political goals, including increasing funding to Florida schools, improving quality of the state’s education, instituting tuition-free community and technical college and taking measures to support Florida’s environment, including carrying out the will of Florida voters who approved the Florida Water and Land Conservation Initiative in 2014.

“If we just do what we were supposed to be doing all along, it won’t be that difficult,” Coleman said.

Tracy Pratt, Democratic candidate for Florida House District 71, talked about her motivations to run for office, including fighting for clean air, clean water and safe schools on behalf of her children and future generations.

Pratt also discussed her intention to take on special interests groups in Florida’s government and address Florida’s mass incarceration of its citizens. Pratt says the money funneled into the prison industry could be better spent on social services.

Environmental protections are also high on Pratt’s list of concerns.

“I’m running to protect Florida’s future,” Pratt said. “And I’ve been running to protect Florida’s environment since before it became a hot button issue.”

David Shapiro, Democratic candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, gave a few anecdotes from his youth, including admiration for his father, who served in World War II, and the lessons he learned during a stint as a vacuum salesman.

“It taught me persistence and a thick skin,” Shapiro said.

Shapiro said that his experiences as a civil litigator, including fighting big insurance companies on behalf of clients, inspired his political ambitions.

If elected, Shapiro said some of his political goals are to address climate change and improve the healthcare system.

“Healthy people make a better economy,” Shapiro said.

Shapiro closed by recognizing the other candidates in the room.

“I’m so proud to be in the field of battle with these guys,” Shapiro said.

Afterward, the candidates mingled with the crowd, answered questions and handed out pins and stickers.

This story was originally published September 25, 2018 at 7:37 AM.