Here are the candidates and races Manatee County will vote on for the general election
Election Day is less than three weeks away, and voting for the next president isn’t the only choice to make for Manatee County voters.
There are various national, statewide and local races on the ballots in Manatee County. There’s also constitutional amendments and local referendums.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5, with polls opening at 7 a.m. and closing at 7 p.m., but vote-by-mail ballots can be requested via mail until Oct. 21 and early voting centers start Oct. 21.
Here’s a look at the major candidates, races and referendums on Manatee County ballots:
UNITED STATES
U.S. PRESIDENT
- Donald J. Trump / JD Vance
- Kamala D. Harris / Tim Walz
- Chase Oliver / Mike ter Maat
- Claudia De la Cruz / Karina Garcia
- Randall Terry / Stephen Broden
- Peter Sonski / Lauren Onak
- Jill Stein / Rudolph Ware
UNITED STATES SENATOR
- Rick Scott
- Debbie Mucarsel-Powell
- Feena Bonoan
- Tuan TQ Nguyen
- Ben Everidge
REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS, DISTRICT 16
Vern Buchanan
Jan Schneider
FLORIDA
STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 70
- Michael Owen
- Luther Keith Wilkins
STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 71
- Will Robinson
- Adriaan J. DeVilliers
STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 72
- William “Bill” Conerly
- Lesa Miller
SUPREME COURT JUSTICES
Shall Justice Renatha Francis of the Supreme Court be retained in office?
Shall Justice Meredith Sasso of the Supreme Court be retained in office?
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
- No. 1: Partisan Election of Members of District School Boards
- No. 2: Right to Fish and Hunt
- No. 3: Adult Personal Use of Marijuana
- No. 4: Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion
- No. 5: Annual Adjustments to the Value of Certain Homestead Exemptions
- No. 6: Repeal of Public Campaign Financing Requirement
MANATEE COUNTYWIDE RACES
SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
- Scott Farrington
- Write-in
2ND DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
- Shall Judge Anthony K. Black of the Second District Court of Appeal be retained in office?
- Shall Justice Edward C. LaRose of the Second District Court of Appeal be retained in office?
- Shall Justice Susan H. Rothstein-Youakim of the SecondDistrict Court of Appeal be retained in office?
COUNTY COMMISSIONER, DISTRICT 7
- George W. Kruse
- Sari Lindroos-Valimaki
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, DISTRICT 1
- Heather Felton
- Mark Stanoch
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, DISTRICT 3
- Charlie Kennedy
- Jon Lynch
MANATEE MUNICIPAL RACES AND BALLOT MEASURES
COUNTY COMMISSIONER, DISTRICT 1
- Carol Ann Felts
- Glenn Pearson
- Jennifer L. Hamey
COUNTY COMMISSIONER, DISTRICT 3
- Tal Siddique
- Diana Shoemaker
- Write-in
COUNTY COMMISSIONER, DISTRICT 5
- Robert “Bob” McCann
- Joseph Di Bartolomeo
SCHOOL BOARD REFERENDUM
- Shall the School Board of Manatee County continue the current 1 mill ad valorem millage from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2029, for: school safety and security; recruiting and retaining teachers and staff; student achievement through more instructional time and supports; early literacy programs; career and technical education; STEM, visual and performing arts, athletics; and public charter schools; with oversight by an independent citizen committee to ensure proper use of funds?
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TAX REFERENDUM
- Shall Manatee County Ordinance No. 24-49 be approved authorizing Manatee County to levy and collect an additional one percent Tourist Development Tax from all short-term rentals of all lodging or accommodations in order to provide additional revenue to fund the improvements and operation of the County’s Convention Center, sports stadiums, aquariums, beaches, for the promotion of tourism, and all other permissible uses as described under the County’s Tourist Development Plan?
NORTH RIVER FIRE DISTRICT REFERENDUM
- Shall the North River Fire District (“District”) be authorized to levy and collect an annual ad valorem tax on real property in an amount not to exceed 1 mill to provide additional operational revenue to fund the District’s fire control and rescue services, infrastructure and facilities, including emergency medical services?
EAST MANATEE FIRE DISTRICT
- James R. Carlino
- Larry Luh
PARRISH FIRE DISTRICT
- John Z. Griesi
- James Arthur Nuwer II
COPPERSTONE CDD, SEAT 5
- Cory Richter
- Ronald Taylor
CROSSCREEK CDD, SEAT 4
- Michael Anthony Di Philippo Jr.
- Harold B. Francis
HARRISON RANCH, SEAT 5
- Thomas Benton
- Marko Krstic
LAKEWOOD RANCH CDD 2, SEAT 2
- Donald R. Avolio
- Jeffrey Siegel
LAKEWOOD RANCH CDD 5, SEAT 2
- Michael Scott Defferding
- Steven H. Peters
LAKEWOOD RANCH CDD 5, SEAT 4
- Sharon Kay Defferding
- Thomas Leavey
PALMS OF TERRA CEIA CDD, SEAT 4
- Janet Mehrer
- Charles Weidner
WATERLEFE CDD, SEAT 4
- Richard Barber
- Thomas R. Potter
BRADENTON MAYOR
- Gene Brown
- Bill Sanders
BRADENTON CITY COUNCILMEMBER, WARD 5
- Pamela Mitchell Coachman
- Iris Thomas Garcia
PALMETTO MAYOR
- Charles B. Smith Sr.
- Daniel W. West
PALMETTO CITY COMMISSIONER, SEAT 1 (AT-LARGE)
- Sheldon E. Jones
- Scott Whitaker
PALMETTO CITY COMMISSIONER, SEAT 2 (AT-LARGE)
- Tamara Cornwell
- Matthew Kezar
HOLMES BEACH MAYOR
- Michael John “Mike” Roth
- Judy Holmes Titsworth
HOLMES BEACH CITY COMMISSIONER
(vote for up to 2)
- Dan Diggins
- Steven W. Oelfke
- Bill Romberger
- Carol Whitmore
ANNA MARIA MAYOR
- Brian F. Seymour
- Mark Short
ANNA MARIA AMENDMENTS
- No. 1: Shall the Anna Maria City Charter be amended to provide a definition for administrative officers of the City?
- No. 2: Shall the Anna Maria City Charter be amended to add a height limitation for all structures within the City limits to be no more than two residential/ habitable floors and 37 feet above crown of the abutting road, and include a provision for obtaining a variance?
- No. 3: Shall the Anna Maria City Charter be amended to add language regarding removal of non-qualifying City Commissioners and prohibiting city commissioners from holding concurrent municipal or other public office or employment by the City of Anna Maria?
- No. 4: Shall the Anna Maria City Charter be amended to change the way a special meeting of the city commission may be called, from a call of a single member of the City Commission to a call of the majority of the City Commission, the Chair of the City Commission or the City Mayor?
