Updated June 18, 2020 at 10:22 a.m. MANATEE COUNTY – The winner of the District 3 Manatee County Commission race between non-party-affiliated candidate Matt Bower and Republican candidate Keven Van Ostenbridge will be decided in the general election in November.
In a previous story, The Sun mistakenly reported the District 3 race would essentially be decided in the Tuesday, Aug. 18, Republican primary due to the write-in candidacy of Nathan Meyer and the lack of a Democratic candidate.
According to Sharon Stief, Chief Deputy of the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office, Bower qualified as a Republican candidate on Monday, June 8, the first day of the one-week qualifying period. But on Friday, June 12, the final day of qualifying, Bower requalified as a candidate with no party affiliation.
Because of this change, Stief said neither Bower nor Van Ostenbridge’s name will appear on the primary ballot in August. Had Bower run as a Republican, this winner of this race would have been decided in the August primary.
“When he (Bower) came in to change his party affiliation that put the entire race on the general election ballot. It won’t be on the primary ballot at all,” Stief said when contacted Tuesday afternoon.
Bower and Van Ostenbridge’s names will appear on the general election ballot in November. All registered voters in District 3, regardless of their own party affiliation, will be able to vote in that race that determines who fills the District 3 seat currently held by Steve Jonsson. Jonsson is not seeking reelection after one term in office.
Stief said Bower collected enough petition signatures to avoid paying the $3,441 qualifying fee when he first qualified as a Republican. Stief said those petition signatures no longer applied when Bower requalified later in the week as a non-party-affiliated candidate. Therefore, Bower then had to pay the qualifying fee.
As of Tuesday, Van Ostenbridge reported $93,581 in campaign contributions and Bower reported $870. Meyer reported no campaign contributions and as a write-in candidate name will not appear on any ballots during the 2020 election cycle. Nor will the names of any other write-in candidates.
District 7
Due to the write-in candidacy of Parrish resident Thomas Dell, and the lack of a Democratic candidate, the countywide District 7 at-large August primary race featuring former County Administrator Ed Hunzeker and Bradenton resident George Kruse will be closed to registered Republican voters only.
Hunzeker and Kruse are both running as Republicans and the lack of a Democratic challenger means the winner of District 7 Republican primary race in August will later fill the commission seat to be vacated Commissioner Betsy Benac. After two four-year terms in office, Benac decided not to seek reelection.
The closed District 7 primary race means registered Democrats and registered non-party-affiliated voters in Manatee County – including those who live on Anna Maria Island or in Cortez – will not be allowed to vote in the primary race that decides who fills Benac’s seat.
Hunzeker has thus far reported $105,760 in campaign contributions, Kruse reported $28,050 and Dell reported zero campaign contributions.
An option for non-Republicans
Florida is a closed primary state and write-in candidates who do not fundraise or actively campaign are often used by both the Republican and Democratic parties to close primary races in which the opposing party does not have a candidate.
There is a process that allows Democrats and non-affiliated independents to help determine the winners of the District 7 at-large race. Non-Republican voters who wish to cast votes in the District 7 primary race in August have until Monday, July 20 to change their party affiliation to Republican. Changing one’s party affiliation is legal and can be done as often as one wishes.
Voters who switch their party affiliation will cast primary votes using a Republican ballot. Changing party affiliation has no impact on the general election ballot used by all county voters. After the August primaries, party affiliation can be switched again.
Switching party affiliation can be done online.
Party affiliation can also be switched by email or standard mail. For more information, call the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office at 941-741-3823 or email info@votemanatee.com.
District 1 and 5 races
Incumbent District 1 Commissioner Priscilla Trace is the only Manatee County Commissioner facing a Democratic challenger in the general election. Democrat Dominique Shauntel Brown also seeks the District 1 seat and in November she will face off the winner of the District 1 Republican primary that also includes Republican James Satcher III. Write-in candidate James Hengel is also in this race, but his name will not appear on the primary or general election ballots.
Trace has thus far reported $51,724 in campaign contributions. Satcher reported $100 and Brown and Hengel reported no campaign contributions.
Write-in candidates Carol Ann Felts and Christopher Gilbert closed the District 5 County Commission primary race featuring incumbent Republican Commissioner Vanessa Baugh and there is Democratic candidate in that race so Baugh has reported $77,620 in campaign contributions but she is essentially running unopposed and will serve another term in office.
