MANATEE COUNTY – Anna Maria Island and Cortez voters helped decide the Republican primary winner in the countywide County Commission District 6 At-Large primary race won by Tara Poulton.
Island and Cortez voters helped decide the Republican primary winner of the Florida House District 71 race to succeed State Rep. Will Robinson Jr. They also helped decide the Republican and Democratic primary winners in the race to succeed U.S. Congressman Vern Buchanan.
Manatee County had 237,646 registered voters for the primary election that concluded on Tuesday, Aug. 18, with 71,485 ballots cast and a voter turnout rate of 30.08%. The unofficial election results for all 71 Manatee County precincts were reported by the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections office website at approximately 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
Republican County Commissioner, District 6 (At-Large) (42,661 votes)
In the race to fill the Manatee County Commission District 6 At-Large seat being vacated by Jason Bearden, who did not seek reelection, Tara Poulton won the Republican primary. This was the only county commission primary race in which Anna Maria Island and Cortez voters were able to vote. Poulton will face former county commissioner and current Democratic candidate Reggie Bellamy.
Tara Poulton: 16,328 votes (38.27%); Ed Ference: 13,805 votes (32.36%); John B. Calovich: 6,584 votes (15.43%); Tony Barrett: 5,944 votes (13.93%)
Republican County Commissioner, District 1 (12,162 votes)
Republican District 1 primary winner Liz Arnold now faces Democratic candidate Sari Lindroos-Valimaki in the general election. Lindroos-Valimaki did not face a primary challenger.
Elizabeth “Liz” Arnold: 3,401 votes (27.96%); Mark Stanoch: 2,993 votes (24.61%); John Dunn: 2,390 votes (19.65%); Adam Johnson: 1,463 votes (12.03%); Leland Taylor: 1,142 votes (9.39%); Michael L. Harrison: 773 votes (6.36%)
Republican County Commissioner, District 2 (4,501 votes)
In the Manatee County Commission District 2 race, Republican incumbent Amanda Ballard defeated Edward Bailey in the Republican primary. Ballard now faces former county commissioner and current Democratic candidate Charles Smith in the general election.
Amanda Ballard: 3,036 votes (67.45%); Edward Bailey: 1,465 votes (32.55%)
Republican County Commissioner, District 4 (6,010 votes)
In the County Commission District 4 primary, incumbent Mike Rahn defeated challenger Glenn Gibellina. With no Democratic challenger, Rahn will run unopposed in the general election.
Mike Rahn: 4,055 votes (67.47%); Glenn Gibellina: 1,955 votes (32.53%)
School Board Member, District 2 (8,124 votes)
Cindy Spray: 2,776 votes (34.17%); Sharon Jefferson: 2,180 votes (26.83%); Margi Nanney: 1,556 votes (19.15%); James T. Golden: 1,072 votes (13.20%); JT White: 540 votes (6.65%)
School Board Member, District 5 (19,922 votes)
Jonathan Mullis: 7,034 votes (35.31%); Camden “Cam” Bedinghaus: 6,787 votes (34.07%); Chantal Wilford: 6,101 votes (30.62%)
Republican State Representative, District 71 (14,561 votes)
Seeking to fill the Florida House District 71 seat currently held by Will Robinson Jr., who will be term-limited out of office at the conclusion of his eighth year in office, Republican Jordan Varnadore won the Republican primary. Varnadore will face Palmetto-based Democratic candidate Ocean Fitts and non-party-affiliated candidate Joseph Hoolihan, who is running as an “independent conservative,” in the general election.
Jordan Varnadore: 9,089 votes (62.42%); Melton Little: 4,417 votes (30.33%); Dylan Paul Modarelli: 1,055 votes (7.25%)
Republican State Representative, District 72 (22,283 votes)
Republican incumbent Bill Conerly won the Florida House District 72 race, and he will face Democratic challenger Harvey Shifrin in the general election. Shifrin faced no primary opponent.
William “Bill” Conerly: 14,250 votes (63.95%); John “Captain” Phillips: 8,033 votes (36.05%)
Representative in Congress, District 16 (Manatee County votes only)
In the District 16 U.S. congressional race to succeed longtime Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan, Democratic primary winner Kelly Kirschner will face Republican primary winner Sydney Gruters.
Republican (44,948 votes): Sydney Gruters: 27,894 votes (62.06%); Eddie Speir: 11,269 votes (25.07%); Ed Pope: 5,785 votes (12.87%)
Democrat (22,067 votes): Kelly Kirschner: 9,119 votes (41.32%); Jan Schneider: 4,349 votes (19.71%); Tamika Lyles: 3,201 votes (14.51%); Jon Harris: 2,822 votes (12.79%); Glenn Pearson: 2,576 votes (11.67%)
United States Senator (Manatee County votes only)
Island and county voters participated in the statewide U.S. Senate primary in which incumbent Republican appointee Ashley Moody won the Republican primary and Angie Nixon won the Democratic primary. Moody and Nixon now face each other in the general election that will determine who serves the final two years of Marco Rubio’s four-year Senate term.
Republican (44,718 votes): Ashley Moody: 35,481 votes (79.34%); Chris Gleason: 6,484 votes (14.50%); Ernest “Ernie” Rivera: 1,817 votes (4.06%); Neelam Taneja Perry: 936 votes (2.09%)
Democrat (22,314 votes): Alex Vindman: 12,506 votes (56.05%); Angie Nixon: 9,808 votes (43.95%)
Governor and Lieutenant Governor (Manatee County votes only)
Republican (45,535 votes): Byron Donalds: 21,868 votes (48.02%); Jay Collins: 11,839 votes (26.00%); James Fishback: 4,816 votes (10.58%); Paul Renner: 3,567 votes (7.83%); Bobby Williams: 1,934 votes (4.25%); Rachel Rodriguez: 551 votes (1.21%); James W. Shaw: 200 votes (0.44%); Jim Holcomb: 324 votes (0.71%); Caneste Succe: 182 votes (0.40%); Arthur Joseph McCaffrey: 142 votes (0.31%); Daniel Nokovich: 112 votes (0.25%)
Democrat (22,275 votes): David Jolly: 15,797 votes (70.92%); Dayna Marie Foster: 2,454 votes (11.02%); Dotie Joseph: 1,698 votes (7.62%); Evelyn Castillo-Bach: 1,328 votes (5.96%); Thomas Eloy Fernandez: 674 votes (3.03%); Stephann Norman: 324 votes (1.45%)
Chief Financial Officer (Manatee County votes only)
Republican (42,980 votes): Blaise Ingoglia: 27,063 votes (62.97%); Frank William Collige: 15,917 votes (37.03%)
Democrat (21,529 votes): Annette Taddeo: 14,413 votes (66.95%); Earle Ford: 7,116 votes (33.05%)
Commissioner of Agriculture (Manatee County votes only)
Republican (43,559 votes): Wilton Simpson: 29,776 votes (68.36%); Matt Taylor: 13,783 votes (31.64%)
Democrat (21,213 votes): Joey Mendoza Atkins: 14,097 votes (66.45%); Donald A. “Don” Prichard: 7,116 votes (33.55%)
Republican State Senator, District 22 (10,282 votes) (Manatee County votes only)
James Buchanan: 8,125 votes (79.02%); Vic Rohe: 2,157 votes (20.98%)
Democrat State Senator, District 20 (15,239 votes) (Manatee County votes only)
Gerald Baldi: 10,143 votes (66.56%); John Houman: 5,096 votes (33.44%)
