Voters chose these 3 candidates to represent Manatee County in Florida Legislature
Voters chose the Republican candidate in all three Florida House seats that represent Manatee County.
The county, which boasts nearly twice as many registered Republicans compared to Democrat voters, picked Michael Owen for District 70, Will Robinson for District 71 and William “Bill” Conerly for District 72.
The clean sweep was resounding.
Owen won 63,212 votes or 59% to defeat Democrat Luther Wilkins, according to preliminary results.
Robinson, an incumbent in the state legislature, defeated Democratic challenger Adriaan DeVilliers with nearly 60% of the votes, according to preliminary results.
Conerly picked up nearly 65% of the vote to defeat Democrat Lesa Miller, according to preliminary results.
Owen and Conerly’s victories fill seats previously held by Republicans who did not seek re-election. Rep. Mike Beltran, R-Riverview, previously held the seat Owen won. Owen has lived in Hillsborough County for 40 years. The district runs through parts of Hillsborough and Manatee County.
Rep. Tommy Gregory, R-Bradenton, previously held the District 72 seat Conerly won Tuesday. Gregory resigned to become State College of Florida’s seventh president.
Meanwhile, Robinson kept his seat for a fourth term. He was first elected to the state legislature in 2018.
What do candidates plan in Tallahassee?
Owen’s website outlined the following as his platform: investing in roads and infrastructure; keeping taxes low and requiring a more strict approval process for development.
Robinson’s conservative platform advocated for pro-life, supporting the Second Amendment, lowering taxes, property insurance reforms and prioritizing recovery from recent storms.
“I’m running to keep Florida moving forward,” Robinson previously told the Herald. “We’ve had great success over the past several years in a lot of areas, but there are some areas we need to improve upon, mainly insurance and the cost of property taxes. So I’m running not only to keep Florida moving in the right direction but also to work on those pocketbook issues many members of my district have talked to me about.”
Robinson’s seat is District 71, which includes parts of Palmetto, Bradenton, the barrier islands and Sarasota.
Conerly, who owns an engineering firm, previously told the Herald that infrastructure improvements, a better water policy, and making houses affordable were the focus of his campaign.
“I’m not just talking about tax-credit financed affordable housing, but the missing middle housing for police officers, for nurses, for teachers,” Conerly previously told the Herald. “That kind of housing is in demand but the supply is short in Manatee, Sarasota County, in Southwest Florida, probably across the entire state and it’s going to be problematic.”
District 72 covers eastern Manatee County into northeastern Sarasota County, from South Bradenton to Myakka City and Duette.
