Gwen Brown files to regain seat on Manatee County Commission

MANATEE — Former Manatee County Commissioner Gwendolyn Brown has filed to run to regain her old seat.

Brown, who was defeated by incumbent Commissioner Michael Gallen in the 2010 Democratic primary, said she was running again for the District 2 seat because there were a number of projects she had started that she was unable to finish.

“It was in my mind I was going to finish, and wasn’t able to do it, and I thought about it long and hard; only you can do certain things,” she said.

Brown, first elected to the commission in 1994 and the first black person to serve on the panel, said among the projects she would like to work on would be helping local businesses and creating jobs, and transforming a section of the Washington Gardens neighborhood into a park.

Other announced candidates for the seat are Palmetto city Commissioner Charles B. Smith; former Manatee County Sheriff's Office deputy Corie Holmes; and Gallen.

Sara Kennedy, Herald reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7031. Follow her on Twitter @sarawrites.

This story was originally published March 20, 2014 at 10:53 AM with the headline "Gwen Brown files to regain seat on Manatee County Commission."