Newcomer George Kruse, incumbent Vanessa Baugh roll up the score in commission wins
Two Manatee County Commission candidates, Republicans Vanessa Baugh and George Kruse, who faced only wrote-in oppositionduring the general election, won crushing victories Tuesday.
Newcomer Kruse, who brings a background in real estate and finance, and advocacy for workforce and affordable housing, won election to the District 7 at-large county commission seat by defeating write-in opponent, Thomas Whitten Dell.
With 66 of 70 precincts reporting, Kruse rolled up a 154,877-11,189 advantage. He receved 93% of the vote.
“I think we will see a positive shift in the board. The voters wanted a change in how we’re doing things. They wanted a more conservative, business approach,” Kruse said Tuesday night. “People want a different view of the administration and the state of Manatee County.”
The general election victory was a forgone conclusion after Kruse defeated former county administrator Ed Hunzeker in a bruising Republican primary race.
Kruse had originally set his sights on the District 1 seat held by Priscilla Whisenant Trace, but switched his campaign to the at-large seat after incumbent Betsy Benac announced she would not seek re-election.
Baugh, the incumbent commissioner in District 5, handily won re-election Tuesday night to her third term against write-in candidates Carol Ann Felts of Myakka City and Chris Gilbert.
With 13 of 14 precincts reporting in her race, Baugh rolled up 44,930 votes, or 87.7 % of votes cast in her race.
Baugh, a Lakewood Ranch resident, had no opposition in the primary election. She first became a candidate for the county commission in 2012, when she challenged incumbent Donna Hayes. Hayes later withdrew from the race, and Baugh went on to defeat John Colon in the primary election and James Golden in the general election.
In 2016, Baugh won re-election by defeating Kathleen Grant in the primary. She had no opposition in the general election that year.
District 5 covers much of southeast Manatee, including Lakewood Ranch, Myakka City and a portion of east Bradenton.
“It’s going to be a very exciting time on the commission. The new commissioners are all conservatives. The citizens wanted a more conservative board to handle taxpayers’ money and run it like a business,” Baugh said.
One of the things the reconstituted commission will focus on is relieving traffic congestion so that “citizens can get to where they need to be in a timely manner,” she said.
Kruse takes his seat, and Baugh starts her new term, on Nov. 17.
This story was originally published November 3, 2020 at 8:38 PM.
