MANATEE COUNTY – The District 3 Manatee County Commission race reshaped by incumbent Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge’s switch to the District 7 at-large race sets up a Republican primary race between Tal Siddique and former District 7 candidate April Culbreath.
The winner of the Republican primary that concludes on Aug. 20 will face Democratic candidate Diana Shoemaker in the general election that follows.
District 3 represents all three Anna Maria Island cities, Cortez and portions of Longboat Key, west Bradenton, Bradenton and Rubonia.
On June 3, Siddique provided The Sun with the following statement regarding Culbreath’s decision to exit the District 7 at-large race and enter the District 3 race after Van Ostenbridge switched races.
“Since entering this race in September 2023, I am proud to have sustained a conservative, grassroots movement behind me,” Siddique stated. “I am running my campaign as I have since the beginning with a focus on improving the quality of life for District 3 residents. I encourage readers to read the facts about my opponent’s disturbing police record and her poor performance as chair of the Manatee GOP, where she sought to benefit herself over the party. I don’t have to play musical chairs to better my chances of winning like other unqualified and unfit candidates. I am the only serious District 3 candidate with the community support needed to restore trust with the county government.”
Whitmore endorsement
On June 4, Siddique issued a press release announcing the endorsement he received from former Manatee County Commissioner, former Holmes Beach Mayor and current city commission candidate Carol Whitmore. The press release included this statement from Whitmore: “I have had the pleasure of getting to know Tal through his deep commitment to understanding all facets of Manatee County and through his active participation in numerous civic organizations, including the Bradenton Kiwanis. Tal’s family has deep roots in Manatee County, and I have personally known them and their community involvement for decades. Tal and his wife, Kristen Truong, embody the energy and passion we need from our young leaders to build a better future for Manatee County. I believe he is exceptionally qualified to represent his constituents on the Board of County
Commissioners, and I hope you will join me in supporting his candidacy.”
The press release also noted that Siddique received previous endorsements from Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth and Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer.
Culbreath campaign
According to her campaign website, “April Allison Culbreath has served Manatee County as a sheriff’s deputy for 27 years. Over the course of her 30-year career in public service, including three years in emergency medical services, she has served in almost every possible law enforcement capacity. She counts her greatest accomplishments to be her services as a Crimes Against Children detective and her volunteer work as deputy advisor to troubled Manatee County youth.
“April entered the political realm in 2016, when she began volunteering locally for the Republican Party. She has served in multiple Manatee County Republican leadership positions. Now retired from law enforcement due to injuries sustained in the line of duty, she looks forward to continued service as a Manatee County Commissioner.”
Her campaign website also notes, “Together with her husband, Duane, she is raising three teenagers. April and her family are committed to their Christian faith and to the Manatee County community.”
Culbreath is currently named as the defendant in a civil lawsuit filed on May 20 regarding her actions as the chairperson of the Manatee County Republican Executive Committee. Incumbent committee member Michael Keegan filed the lawsuit seeking an emergency injunction to prevent Culbreath from removing an incumbent committee member without due process, denying a member’s access to a committee meeting, denying a committee member’s voting rights and eliminating the committee’s dual signature requirement for financial disbursements.
A lawsuit-related declaration filed by Keegan states the executive committee treasurer and secretary both resigned in December because of their civil and criminal liability exposure created by “Culbreath’s ongoing financial malfeasance and abuse of executive committee funds.”
Police record
The Sun emailed Culbreath’s campaign email account on June 6 seeking her comments on the District 3 race and some of the incidents cited below. As of press time, she had not responded.
Culbreath’s 12-page Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Professional Standards Employee Resumé lists several internal affairs investigations regarding her actions.
In 1999, Culbreath received verbal counseling as a disciplinary action pertaining to her responding to a call without being dispatched or notifying dispatch, and also for gathering information not included on MCSO forms.
In 2000, she received a letter of reprimand for failing to preserve evidence.
In 2001, she received a letter of reprimand for driving an MCSO vehicle out of the county to her residence without permission.
In 2004, she received a letter of reprimand for failing to properly secure her weapon in her holster, which resulted in her handgun falling out and being discovered on the ground.
In 2005, she was suspended 86 hours without pay after she failed to respond and conduct an investigation, as ordered by a supervisor.
In 2005, she was suspended for 129 hours without pay for having sex while on duty.
In 2006, she received a 387-hour suspension for allegedly attending a wedding reception and being observed dancing in a suggestive manner while in uniform.
In 2009, she received a 17-hour suspension without pay for disrespecting her supervisor by using profane and obscene language because she was called in to respond to an assignment.
In 2009, she received an 8.6-hour suspension without pay after she failed to respond to a missing child call as directed by her supervisor.
In 2011, she received a 258-hour suspension without pay for an off-duty incident in which she allegedly became involved in an altercation when obtaining her own medical records and allegedly punching an employee in the face.
In 2015, she received a verbal reprimand for the misuse of the Driver And Vehicle Information Database (D.A.V.I.D.) utilized by the sheriff’s office.
According to The Bradenton Herald, in 2010, Culbreath (then known as Dugan) was involved in a disciplinary case. Capt. Kristin Kennedy told investigators she kissed Det. Dugan the previous year and then had two subsequent intimate encounters with her.
