ANNA MARIA – The first week of Anna Maria’s two-week candidate qualifying period saw city commission chair Mark Short and former city commissioner Brian Seymour qualify to face each other in the race to succeed departing Mayor Dan Murphy.
Seymour is the business owner of the Anna Maria General Store on Pine Avenue and the co-owner/ operator of the City Pier Grill business that leases city-owned space on the Anna Maria City Pier.
Incumbent Commissioner Gary McMullen qualified to run for a city commission seat, as did former charter review committee Chairperson Chris Arendt. McMullen was appointed to the commission in January and now seeks election to a full two-year term. Arendt seeks his first city commission term.
Short qualifying to run in the mayor’s race means he must vacate his current city commission seat, win or lose, after the general election in November.
This creates a third opening to be filled in the general election – or filled later by commission appointment if no additional commission candidates emerge during the second and final week of qualifying.
Anna Maria’s qualifying period ends on Friday, June 14 at noon. Qualifying packets can be obtained from the city clerk’s office or the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office.