Skip to main content

Tag: April Culbreath

Pedicini clients fare poorly in primary election

Pedicini clients fare poorly in primary election

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – Seven Manatee County candidates paid Anthony Pedicini’s Tampa-based Strategic Image Management (SIMWINS) political consulting firm a total of $526,508 in the recent primary election, according to the candidates’ campaign treasurer reports.

Six of those seven Pedicini clients lost their Republican primary races and their election bids are over. District 3 school board candidate Jonathan Lynch is the only one of the seven to advance to the general election.

District 7

District 7 at-large primary candidate Kevin Van Ostenbridge’s campaign paid SIMWINS $193,455 leading up to the Aug. 20 primary election. Van Ostenbridge’s campaign raised $239,344 and spent $203,517 on his unsuccessful bid to unseat incumbent District 7 commissioner George Kruse. Van Ostenbridge’s current term as the District 3 county commissioner will end in November. Gov. Ron DeSantis endorsed Van Ostenbridge’s unsuccessful District 7 bid. To date, Kruse’s campaign has raised $67,591 and spent $63,004. Kruse now faces Democrat Sari Lindroos-Valimaki in the general election. Valimaki’s campaign has raised $10,828 and spent the same amount.

Supervisor of elections

Supervisor of Elections Republican primary candidate James Satcher’s campaign paid SIMWINS $101,379. Satcher’s campaign raised $122,121 and spent $119,804 in an unsuccess­ful bid to serve as Manatee County’s next elected Supervisor of Elections. That seat will go to former elections office chief of staff, Scott Farrington, whose campaign raised $78,724 and spent $75,966. In April, DeSantis appointed Satcher to fill the remain­ing months of former Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett’s four-year term, after Bennett retired in March.

District 3

District 3 Manatee County Com­mission candidate April Culbreath’s campaign paid SIMWINS $90,895 in her unsuccessful bid to defeat Tal Sid­dique in the District 3 primary race.

Culbreath’s campaign raised $100,393 and spent $99,088. Siddique’s campaign raised $65,668 and spent $58,901. Siddique now faces Demo­crat Diana Shoemaker in the general election. Shoemaker’s campaign has raised $40,526 and spent $15,515.

District 5

Appointed District 5 County Com­missioner Ray Turner’s campaign paid SIMWINS $66,072. Turner’s campaign raised $89,220 and spent $71,218. Turner, who was appointed by DeSan­tis, lost his election bid to Republican primary challenger Bob McCann.

To date, McCann’s campaign has raised $41,431 and spent $38,675. McCann now faces non-party-affiliated candidate Joseph Di Bartolomeo in the general election. Di Bartolomeo’s campaign has raised $9,278 and spent $2,320.

District 1

Seeking to fill the District 1 County Commission seat that Satcher vacated in April, Republican primary candidate Steve Metallo’s campaign paid SIMWINS $63,045. Metallo’s campaign raised $101,155 and spent $73,191. Metallo lost his primary race to fellow Republican Carol Ann Felts, who raised $17,011 and spent $12,925.

Felts now faces Democrat Glenn Pearson and non-party-affiliated candidate Jennifer Hamey in the general election. Pearson’s campaign has raised $10,539 and spent $9,986. Hamey’s campaign has raised $16,912 and spent $5,408.

School board

District 3 Manatee County School Board candidate Jonathan Lynch’s campaign paid SIMWINS $4,850. To date, Lynch’s campaign has raised $39,450 and spent $7,834. As the second leading vote-getter in the primary race, Lynch now faces leading vote-getter Charlie Kennedy in the general election. Kennedy’s campaign has raised $13,532 and spent $10,969.

District 1 school board candidate Alex Garner’s campaign paid SIMWINS $6,552 and his third-place finish ended his election bid. Top vote-getter Heather Felton’s campaign has raised $10,276 and spent $8,613. Second place finisher Mark Stanoch’s campaign has raised $34,457 and spent $30,966. Felton and Stanoch now face each other in the general election.

Related coverage: Six candidates report SIMWINS expenditures
Primary voters produce change in leadership

Primary voters produce change in leadership

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – Anna Maria Island voters helped determine the winners of three key Republican primary races that saw Tal Siddique, George Kruse and Scott Farrington emerge with victories on Aug. 20.

Island voters joined voters countywide in rejecting several candidates associated with political consultant Anthony Pedicini and the divisive, developer-beholden political ideology that has defined county politics since the 2020 elections. Pedicini clients April Culbreath, Kevin Van Ostenbridge, James Satcher, Ray Turner and Steve Metallo lost their primary races.

District 3

Siddique defeated Culbreath in the District 3 county commission race. Siddique received 6,070 votes (61.07%) and Culbreath received 3,870 votes (38.93%). Siddique now faces Democratic candidate Diana Shoemaker in the general election in November.

The District 3 commissioner directly represents a district that includes Anna Maria Island, Cortez, a portion of Longboat Key and portions of Bradenton. Of the 9,940 votes cast in the District 3 race, approximately 14% were cast by Anna Maria Island voters.

District 7

In the countywide at-large District 7 Republican primary, Kruse, the incumbent, received 24,225 votes (58.43%) and Van Ostenbridge received 17,232 (41.57%). Kruse now faces Democratic candidate Sari Lindroos- Valimaki in the general election.

In late May, Van Ostenbridge dropped his District 3 reelection bid and chose instead to challenge Kruse in the countywide District 7 race. Culbreath then dropped out of the District 7 race and entered the District 3 race instead.

Supervisor of elections

In the Supervisor of Elections race open to Republican voters county­wide, Farrington received 24,327 votes (58.79%) and Satcher received 17,051 (41.21%). With no Democratic candidate in the general election, Farrington’s primary victory means he’ll return to his former workplace on Jan. 7.

Farrington spent 12 years working at the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office before resigning in April after Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher, then the District 1 county commissioner, to serve the remaining months of the four-year term that long-time supervisor Mike Bennett vacated in March. Despite his primary loss, Satcher will remain in office until Jan. 7 and will still oversee the upcoming general election.

School board

Island voters helped determine the top two vote-getters in the non-party-affiliated District 3 school board race. Charlie Kennedy received 7,370 votes (47.53%). Jon Lynch, a Pedicini client, received 4,655 (30.02%) and Anna Maria resident Perri Ann Parkman received 3,481 votes (22.45%). Because no candidate received 50%-plus-one additional vote, Kennedy and Lynch will face off in the general election.

Non-island races

Several other primary races were decided without input from Island voters. Seeking to fill the District 1 commission seat Satcher vacated, Carol Ann Felts defeated Steve Metallo in that Republican primary and now faces Democratic candidate Glenn Pearson and non-party-affiliated candidate Jennifer Hamey in the general election.

In the District 5 county commission race, Robert “Bob” McCann defeated DeSantis appointee Ray Turner and now faces non-party-affiliated can­didate Joseph Di Bartolomeo in the general election.

Heather Felton and Mark Stanoch were the top two vote getters in the District 1 school board race and will face each other in the general election.

Voter turnout

Voter turnout was 24.86%, with 68,211 of Manatee County’s 274,383 registered voters participating in the primary. Voter turnout was 40% in Anna Maria, 36% in Holmes Beach and 33% in Bradenton Beach, with 1,411 of Anna Maria Island’s 3,848 registered voters casting votes.

According to the elections office, 2,316 non-Republican county voters switched their party affiliation to Republican to participate in the Republican primary.

Post-election reaction

“I am thrilled with the results of the election,” Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth said. “Talk about a clean sweep! I feel the threat of a parking garage in our city has passed with the results of this election. I have great relations with all current candidates and they are all big supporters of home rule and assisting Holmes Beach as needed. I attended the watch party with Scott Farrington, George Kruse and Tal Saddique and it was a memorable and exciting night.”

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said, “The election turned out to be a great day for Manatee County and the Island cities. The winning can­didates took the time to visit the city and look at the parking improvements we have completed. Those candidates spoke about their objection to the parking garage and the consolidation of the Island cities.”

Speaking on behalf of herself and her husband, Richard, Holmes Beach resident Margie Motzer said, “This was our best-case scenario; it was not only a clean sweep, but they were all very decisive wins. Those who care about good governance couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. It should not only send a message to the ‘developer darlings’ and their political consultant, but it was also a repudiation of the local developers backing them.

“In addition, it should send a clear message to the remaining commissioners that voters want good governance, fair representation, ethics, integrity, accountability and clean grassroots campaigns – not smear campaigns with a deluge of mailers and attack ads containing false or misleading information.

“We believe this election will go down in the history books. We believe the proposed parking garage will not have the same support it had under the commissioners who will be leaving office. However, we hope the whole experience will encourage a team effort between city and county officials to look at alternative solutions,” Motzer said.

 Siddique reaction

“By running a grassroots campaign as a first-time, unknown candidate I knew I had a difficult path ahead of me,” Siddique said. “I believe this win can be attributed to having the right message, a strong work ethic and great local media that kept voters informed. Voters want someone who will rep­resent them fairly instead of casting them aside for developers or special interest groups. I take the results as a signal that voters are tired of negative campaigning with fiery rhetoric. I was disgusted with the outright lies spread about my work history, the involve­ment of elected officials in supporting that campaign and the attacks on my wife. We have filed a number of cease-and-desist letters against SIMWINS (Pedicini) and other organizations and are not ruling out future legal action.

“I was in the room with George Kruse and Scott Farrington with dozens of our supporters on election night. As the results came in, I could feel hope and optimism fill the air throughout the night until we reached the crescendo when we realized that not only did Scott win, but that we would see a total shift on the board of county commissioners. I am grateful to all the local journalists, volunteers, political clubs, community organiza­tions, grassroots Facebook groups and Manatee County voters for having the courage to act and fight for their community,” Siddique said.

 Farrington reaction

“I am incredibly humbled by the trust that the voters have placed in me,” Farrington said. “I believe the outcome of the election shows the voters want to trust their elections office. I was very optimistic going into election day, but the margin was greater than I expected.”

Regarding the campaign tactics utilized by SIMWINS and Satcher’s campaign, Farrington said, “These tactics are designed to affect the less informed voter; and in my conversa­tions, it seemed more voters had taken an interest and become involved. However, the ads and mailers were constant and deceptive and I didn’t discount that they would have an effect. I hope the outcome of this election will set a new tone for future campaigns. I believe these results prove that you do not need to bom­bard voters with constant negativity, and it shows that voters want engaged candidates that are willing to com­municate and speak to them.”

Looking ahead to the general elec­tion to be conducted under Satcher’s supervision, minus four elections office employees that Satcher fired after the primary election, Farrington said, “I want the November election to go well. I am concerned about what I have read in the letters from the staff and I am concerned about the lack of knowledge that the office now has.”

 Kruse reaction

“Tuesday, Aug. 20 was a pivotal day for Manatee County. The entire com­munity, regardless of party or affilia­tion, came together to show the special interests that we are now, and forever will be, an informed voter base,” Kruse said. “The tactics of recent election cycles will no longer convince unsuspecting voters to vote against their best interests. The collective efforts of everyone in our county have turned the tide of our government and our future for the better. I am excited and optimistic about the next four years and beyond for Manatee County. Thank you everyone for your efforts, your resolve and your support this primary season.”

Related coverage: Fired elections office employees speak out
Mc Primary Results

Farrington, Kruse, Siddique win key primary races

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – Manatee County’s Republican voters opted for change during today’s primary election.

In doing so, the county’s registered Republican voters rejected the far right, hyper-partisan political atmosphere that has dominated Manatee County politics since 2020.

Five of the primary losers utilized Anthony Pedicini’s Tampa-based Strategic Image Management (SIMWINS) political consulting firm.

MC Primary Results
Five of Anthony Pedicini’s six Manatee County clients lost their Republican primary races. – Submitted

The unofficial election results posted at the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections website must still be certified by the independent three-member canvassing board. Subject to potential change, the vote totals listed in this story were as of 8 p.m. Tuesday evening, with some mail ballots still being counted. Voter turnout was 23.57%, with 64,683 of Manatee County’s 274,385 registered voters participating in the primary election.

Supervisor of Elections

Former Supervisor of Elections Office Chief of Staff Scott Farrington will serve a four-year term as Manatee County’s next elected supervisor of elections, having defeated incumbent gubernatorial appointee James Satcher.

MC Primary Results
Scott Farrington will serve as Manatee County’s elected Supervisor of Elections. – Submitted

In the closed primary race that was open to registered Republican voters only, Farrington received 23,376 votes (58.92%) and Satcher received 16,299 votes (41.08%). Because there is no Democratic challenger in this fall’s general election, Farrington wins the supervisor of elections race.

County Commission races

Tal Siddique defeated April Culbreath in the District 3 county commission race that pitted two first-time candidates against each other in a closed primary race open only to registered Republicans who reside in District 3 – a district that includes Anna Maria Island, Cortez, a portion of Longboat Key and a portion of Bradenton.

MC Primary Results
Tal Siddique won the District 3 Republican primary. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Siddique received 5,783 votes (60.91%) and Culbreath received 3,712 votes (39.09%). Siddique will now face Democratic candidate Diana Shoemaker in the District 3 general election race that concludes on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

MC Primary Results
George Kruse will continue serving as the District 7 county commissioner. – Submitted

Incumbent District 7 at-large Commissioner George Kruse defeated current District 3 Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge in the District 7 Republican primary race. Kruse received 23,245 votes (58.48%) and Van Ostenbridge received 16,503 votes (41.52%). Kruse will now face Democratic candidate Sari Lindroos-Valimaki in the general election.

Seeking to fill the District 1 county commission seat that Satcher vacated in April – when Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher to serve the remaining months of former Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett’s four-year term – Carol Ann Felts defeated Steve Metallo in the District 1 Republican primary. Felts received 5,427 votes (54.07%) and Metallo received 4,610 votes (45.93%). Felts will now face Democratic candidate Glenn Pearson and non-party-affiliated candidate Jennifer Hamey in the District 1 general election.

In the County Commission District 5 race, Robert “Bob” McCann defeated gubernatorial appointee Ray Turner. McCann received 5,744 votes (54.31%) and Turner received 4,833 votes (45.69%). McCann will now face non-party-affiliated candidate Joseph Di Bartolomeo.

Property Appraiser, Clerk, Sheriff

In a countywide race open to all voters, Incumbent Manatee County Property Appraiser Charles Hackney defeated Republican challenger Darin George. Hackney received 48,830 (80.98%) votes and George received 11,469 votes (19.02%).

Running unopposed, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller Angel Colonneso will serve another four-year term in that role. Running unopposed, Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells will serve another four-year term as sheriff.

School board races

Charlie Kennedy was the leading vote getter in the non-party-affiliated District 3 school board race. Kennedy received 6,970 votes (47.39%). Jon Lynch, a Pedicini client, received 4,426 votes (30.09%) and Anna Maria resident Perri Ann Parkman received 3,311 votes (22.51%). Because no candidate received a 50%-plus-one additional vote, Kennedy and Lynch will face off in the general election.

Heather Felton was the leading vote-getter in the District 1 school board race. Felton received 6,100 votes (38.96%), Mark Stanoch received 4,960 votes (31.68%) and Alex Garner received 4,596 votes (29.36%). Because none of these candidates secured a 50%-plus-one additional vote, the top two vote-getters, Felton and Stanoch, will face each other in the general election.

Island city races

The winners of the Anna Maria mayor’s race and the Holmes Beach city commission race will be determined in the general election this fall.

Culbreath issues campaign letter

Culbreath issues campaign letter

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – April Culbreath, the District 3 Manatee County Commission Republican primary candidate, did not respond to multiple interview requests made by The Sun, but on July 30, many Manatee County voters received an “open letter” from Culbreath regarding her campaign.

The three-page letter briefly mentions the lengthy disciplinary record she accumulated during her former career as a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputy.

Culbreath’s disciplinary record dates back to 2000, when her last name was Dugan, and includes multiple incidents that resulted in her being reprimanded and/or suspended without pay.

According to her 12-page Manatee County Sheriff’s Office professional standards resume and supporting MCSO administrative report documents, she was suspended without pay at various times for failing to respond and conduct an investigation as ordered by her supervisor, having sex while on duty, attending a wedding reception and being observed dancing in a suggestive manner while in uniform, using profane language while being disrespectful to a supervisor, failing to respond to a missing child call and allegedly punching a cosmetic surgery center employee while trying to obtain her personal medical records.

Her numerous written reprimands pertain to failing to secure and losing her service weapon near a picnic area in Bradenton Beach occupied by children and adults, driving a Sheriff’s Office vehicle to her out-of-county home without permission, failing to preserve evidence and misusing the Driver And Vehicle Information Database used by MCSO staff.

CAMPAIGN LETTER

The two copies of the letter provided to The Sun addressed each voter by the first name associated with their voter registration.

“My name is April Culbreath and as you are most certainly reading about my work as a deputy, I wanted to tell you my side of the story.

“First, I believe we have all sinned and fallen short in the eyes of our creator. I know I most certainly have. I have prayed for forgiveness for my shortcomings, and I know they only made me stronger.

“Second, I want to tell you about my experience working to keep you and your family safe as a Manatee County Sheriff’s Deputy. Unless you have a first responder in your family, or have a best friend that is one, you probably don’t know the stress it puts on the entire family. My husband and children are no exception to the worry that comes from placing that badge on my chest and gun on my hip, leaving them behind, knowing every day could be my last.

“Well, one day, back in January of 2021, while on duty, a criminal fleeing from police ran me down. I was simply trying to arrest her and she tried to take my life. Ignoring verbal commands, the criminal fled the scene, accelerated at full speed and threw me across the hood of another patrol car and underneath an oncoming vehicle. I was rushed to the emergency room, neck broken, and am writing this letter knowing I am lucky to be alive today. I thank God each day for this small miracle.

“My husband, Duane, is a member of a longtime Manatee County family. He’s a fourth generation and our children will be the fifth generation of Culbreaths living here. Our people settled near Perico Bay, moved to Cortez and established the Cortez fishing village in the 1920s. Our family wants to make this community better. We have generations of Culbreaths to prove it.

“Personally, I have dedicated my life to serving our community. I took the oath to protect and defend our way of life. This is not an oath I take lightly and know, as a deputy, that promise could one day take my life. Now I am seeking to become a Manatee County commissioner, for the exact same reasons I became a deputy. I want to defend our home.

“I’m also no stranger to campaigns, having led our local Republican party and having been the founder of the Manatee County Trump Train.

“I wasn’t surprised when my opponent, fresh from Washington D.C., started attacking me with information that’s decades old, trying to impugn my service as deputy sheriff and detective.

“I also want you to know you can call me anytime with questions you have and I will be happy to answer them directly.

“My family and I are grateful to live in a place where neighbors still take care of neighbors and we pull together when times are tough. That’s the Manatee County I love and am fighting for. I hope you will join me in that fight,” the letter says.

Culbreath’s letter did not include a phone number, nor did it directly address any of her numerous work-related suspensions.

MEDIA RELATIONS

On July 24, Culbreath addressed her media interactions, or lack thereof, in a comment she posted at former Bradenton City Council member Gene Gallo’s Facebook page in response to Gallo’s support for opponent Tal Siddique.

“I have certainly tried to defend myself from the liberal media, however they refuse to publish my words,” she wrote.

On June 6, The Sun emailed Culbreath’s campaign address seeking her input for a District 3 campaign story. She never responded. The Sun emailed her campaign address again on July 29 and left a voicemail at her campaign phone number, again, with no response. Two other local journalists, Dawn Kitterman and Marc Masferrer, experienced similar non-responses with Culbreath and noted so on Facebook.

Siddique discusses county commission campaign

Siddique discusses county commission campaign

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – Tal Siddique is running against April Culbreath in the District 3 Manatee County Commission Republican primary race that will determine who faces Democratic candidate Diana Shoemaker in the general election.

District 3 includes Anna Maria Island, Cortez and portions of Longboat Key and Bradenton.

Siddique moved to Bradenton three and a half years ago from the Virginia/Washington D.C. area. He seeks the commission seat currently held by Kevin Van Ostenbridge, who is now running for the at-large District 7 seat instead. Siddique recently stopped by The Sun office to discuss his campaign.

THE INTERVIEW

Why do you want to be the District 3 commissioner?

“I want to bring some fresh perspectives to the commission. I’ve been involved in many local issues. I got involved in county politics and saw there were a lot of decisions made by our District 3 commissioner that I disagreed with. I realized I wasn’t going to have an impact unless I ran for office,” Siddique said.

“I’m running on ethics, preserving our small-town feel and empowering people over special interests. I hope people are paying attention to how we conduct our campaigns. My opponent has conducted hers very negatively and she has very little to offer. There’s a lot of special interest money at play and they have no value. They only care about ensuring that they make a profit at everyone else’s expense.

“I bring the right skills, experience and temperament. I’m 30 years old but I’ve led a career for the Air Force building software and leading software teams. I’ve also managed complex budgets for a number of organizations and right now for the private sector I do the same thing, leading multiple software and product teams.”

Would you like to comment on April Culbreath’s disciplinary record with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office?

“She has a 30-year record of misconduct. A record like that is shameful. Committing those violations was unbecoming of a deputy and is unbecoming of someone seeking a position of power. I don’t think that kind of record reflects the values of our community.”

Do you support the county constructing a parking garage at Manatee Beach against the will of residents and city officials, but with the support of state legislators?

“I do not. I have not since day one and I’ve been at a number of parking garage protests. Parking at the public beach might fill up but you can find plenty of other parking spots the city of Holmes Beach provides, and they have a map and a website that shows where those spaces are. I don’t think parking is the main concern. The main concern is traffic. Building a parking garage is going to be very expensive, at $50 million minimum. I’d rather put that money toward other solutions.”

What are your thoughts on the Island-wide consolidation study requested by state legislators Jim Boyd, Will Robinson Jr. and others?

“I don’t believe the consolidation issue was approached appropriately. There has been a significant breakdown in the relationship between the city of Holmes Beach and the county and I think that’s primarily due to our current District 3 commissioner. I would like to normalize that relationship and the relationship with our state Legislature as well, and I think I can. I have good relationships with all three Island mayors and particularly with Mayor (Judy) Titsworth and Chief (Bill) Tokajer, who both endorsed me.

“The Island city millage rates are significantly lower than Manatee County, which is 6.23 mills. The county also has the least restrictive and most poorly written land development codes and the most poorly written comprehensive plan within our region.

“I do not believe consolidating the three cities into one city is going to provide any benefits. I also don’t believe consolidating the Island cities into Manatee County is the right solution. The Island people elected their city governments and they deserve to have them. As a conservative, I don’t believe in big government eating little government.

“Forcing Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach to get rid of their police departments would put more strain on our Sheriff’s Office. It’s going to be very costly as well. As far as consolidating city services, that’s a decision the residents and city officials should make.”

What should the county commission and school district do to lower property taxes?

“We are a strong Republican county and all these county officials claim to be fiscally responsible conservatives but they gladly spend the taxpayers’ money. From fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2023, we saw a $44 million increase in county property tax revenues without raising the millage. As property values increase, the county collects more revenues but doesn’t lower the millage rate. I would like to see us lower the millage rate by at least half, or by as much as we can, and I hope the school board can lower their taxes too.”

Do you feel there’s any excessive or unnecessary spending taking place at the county level?

“Absolutely. With respect to the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), in my district, the 59th Street West expansion project is completely unwarranted and unnecessary. To spend $86 million to widen a road in that location is not a need, especially when there are other streets that need attention.

“Spending at least $50 million for the Holmes Beach parking garage is unnecessary. The county also plans to build new parking garages in downtown Bradenton, at the Premier Sports Complex in Lakewood Ranch and at the convention center in Palmetto. That’s hundreds of millions of dollars on parking garages. There’s a lack of focus with what’s happening with our Capital Improvement Plan. The county is also bonded $700 million in debt and it’s costing $40 million a year to pay that off.”

Siddique discusses county commission campaign
In 2023, Tal Siddique, center, participated in a Holmes Beach parking garage protest outside the county administration building. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Manatee County doesn’t regulate short-term vacation rentals. Should the county regulate vacation rentals?

“The Island cities have reasonable vacation rental regulations and occupancy limits and Governor (Ron) DeSantis vetoed a bill that would have prevented them from implementing and enforcing local policies. No one likes vacation rentals in their neighborhood except for the investors and large corporations that own them. Commissioner (Kevin) Van Ostenbridge said he has no solution and doesn’t plan to pursue vacation rental regulations. I’d like to see the county adopt something sensible that protects property rights for residents. At least look at what the city of Bradenton has done, which is a phone line residents can use to register complaints.”

What are your thoughts on the Gulf Island Ferry service?

“Having a larger, faster boat that can handle more inclement weather conditions will help, and I support that. I think there’s a desire for a ferry stop in Holmes Beach. The challenge is where? I think the Kingfish Boat Ramp probably makes the most sense. You can walk to the beach from there. And we need to make the ferries more practical for the Island workforce.”

Do you consider yourself to be more moderate than some current commissioners and candidates?

“I consider myself conservative. There tends to be this arms race to prove who’s the loudest and craziest and you see that playing out on the county board, which is why they talk about issues they have no impact on. I’m pro-life, pro-Second Amendment and I support Donald Trump. Those are things I stand for and believe in, but I also recognize that if a county commission gets too caught up in trying to be on TV you won’t get anything done locally. I ran because our commissioners are distracted and they’re not getting things done. I think you’re seeing that with my opponent, who has no policy positions on her website and can’t articulate her positions without help from her special interest backers.”

If elected, do you think you can successfully govern with your fellow commissioners?

“I think so. Fundamentally, most of us believe in the same values but there’s far too much special interest and developer money that swings elections and affects commission decisions. There’s no way they’d approve certain projects if it weren’t for the special interests and developer money. I plan to take a different approach than some of our current commissioners, which is to attack one another on the dais. Personal attacks and being combative with each other shouldn’t happen in board meetings. The negativity in politics has gotten worse and people don’t care for it.”

Six candidates report SIMWINS expenditures

Six candidates report SIMWINS expenditures

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – Three more Republican candidates seeking office in Manatee County have reported campaign expenditures made to Anthony Pedicini’s Tampa-based Strategic Image Management (SIMWINS) political consulting firm.

Pedicini and his firm utilize television ads and campaign mailers to promote their Manatee County clients as true conservatives while painting their Republican primary opponents who may hold more moderate views as liberals.

Anthony Pedicini’s firm represents six Manatee County candidates. – Facebook | Submitted

During the July 13-19 campaign reporting period, District 3 Manatee County Commission candidate April Culbreath, District 1 County Commission candidate Steve Metallo and District 3 Manatee County School Board candidate Jonathan Lynch listed their first reported campaign payments to SIMWINS, according to campaign treasurer reports on the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections website.

On July 18, Culbreath’s campaign paid SIMWINS $46,802 for campaign mailers and $800 for palm cards. Culbreath’s campaign has sent out numerous mailers since her District 3 campaign began.

On July 15, Metallo’s campaign paid SIMWINS $40,110 for mailers.

On July 15, Lynch’s campaign paid SIMWINS $4,850 for yard signs.

During the same reporting period, Supervisor of Elections candidate James Satcher, District 7 at-large County Commission candidate Kevin Van Ostenbridge and District 5 County Commission candidate Ray Turner made additional payments to SIMWINS.

On July 15, Satcher’s campaign paid SIMWINS $6,484 for text messaging services and $20,000 for a media ad. On July 17, Satcher’s campaign paid SIMWINS an additional $15,000 for a media ad. To date, Satcher’s campaign has reported paying SIMWINS $82,929.

On July 18, Kevin Van Ostenbridge’s campaign paid SIMWINS $95,000 for a media ad. To date, Van Ostenbridge’s campaign has reported paying SIMWINS $193,420.

On July 17, Turner’s campaign paid SIMWINS $48,562 for mailers. To date, Turner’s campaign has reported paying SIMWINS $66,072.

To date, the six Republican candidates have reported paying SIMWINS a total of $434,983.

Mail voting has begun for the primary election that concludes on Aug. 20. In-person early voting will take place at various polling locations Saturday, Aug. 10 through Saturday, Aug. 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Related coverage: Pedicini consulting for Satcher, Van Ostenbridge, Turner

Cleanup in aisle 3

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Guest column, Opinion.

To err is human, the old axiom goes, and we Republicans proved ourselves all too human in 2020 when we put Kevin Van Ostenbridge (KVO) on the Manatee County Board of Commissioners (commission). Now, in 2024, we have the opportunity to prove ourselves insane, as well, by doing it all over again.

Van Ostenbridge currently holds the commission’s District 3 (Dist-3) seat, meaning it was Dist-3 residents, me included, who voted him onto the commission in 2020. Dist-3 covers Cortez, the three Anna Maria Island cities, the Palma Sola area, and the northwest part of Bradenton.

When Van Ostenbridge filed his election papers early this year, they were for his Dist-3 seat.

Then, in late May, KVO announced he had terminated his Dist-3 campaign and was now running for the commission District 7 (Dist-7) seat. Dist-7 covers all of Manatee County. What happened was, KVO and April Culbreath, a friend and ally of his, had swapped election campaigns. So he is the Dist-7 candidate now, and she is running for his Dist-3 seat. Culbreath, you may have read, carries some interesting baggage herself.

The reason for the KVO-Culbreath switcheroo is Van Ostenbridge knows his chances of rewinning the Dist-3 seat are nil. He misrepresented himself to Dist-3 voters in 2020, and his conduct these past four years has so angered Dist-3 communities and residents that most Dist-3 voters – people of all political stripes – can hardly wait to throw the bum out.

Because commission Dist-7 has approximately five times more residents than Dist-3, Van Ostenbridge figures its commission seat is one he can win. The disdain he has earned for his Dist-3 blunders and plunders will be diluted considerably in Dist-7’s much larger voter base. Also, KVO will have the financial and other support of his posse (those he controls) and those who control him. Money is no object for many of them, and money yields votes (and, as we painfully know, pays for scurrilous campaign ads).

Van Ostenbridge also figures that, should he win the Aug. 20 commission Dist-7 Republican primary election, the November general election is his to lose. Unfortunately, I have to agree with him on this, and many others do as well.

In fact, I am hearing that a sizable number of you Democrats and No Party Affiliations have changed your voter registrations to Republican so you, too, can vote on Aug. 20 to end KVO’s reign.

Hopefully, more of you will do the same – enough more to ensure George Kruse, KVO’s Republican opponent and the current Dist-7 seat holder, wins the Dist-7 Republican primary election.

If you too wish to vote in the Aug. 20 Republican Dist-7 primary, the deadline for changing voter registrations to Republican is this July 22. You can change yours easily online, and then back again after Aug. 20 (as you know, in the November general election you can vote for any candidate on the general election ballot you like, regardless of your and his or her party affiliation).The Election Office web address is: https://www.votemanatee.com/. Its helpline number is: 941-741-3823.

Also, if you wish to vote by mail in the Aug. 20 Republican primary, the deadline for enrolling in the Election Office’s VBM directory is Aug. 8. This can be done online or by telephone (to remain active in the VBM directory, you must reenroll every two years).

Back in 2020, when Van Ostenbridge was running for his commission Dist-3 seat, his campaign rhetoric was similar to what it is now. In short, KVO said he was a principled, free-market conservative, detests government waste, wants Manatee County to run more businesslike, and will work with fellow commissioners to find common-sense solutions to residents’ problems. This sounded good, but what a crock of brown gumbo algae it turned out to be!

Upon joining the commission, Van Ostenbridge essentially declared himself the new sheriff in town and bullied his way into the powerful chairman position. Then, poof, Campaign KVO, the would-be principled conservative, became Commission Chair KVO, an unabashed, spend-happy, crony-capitalist. And the constituents whose problems he said he would work to solve? Well, they obviously are not us ordinary and regular tax-paying residents.

Thus, it comes as no surprise Van Ostenbridge’s developer/builder cronies and other real estate-industry benefactors have amassed for him a huge 2024 campaign fund. Per June 25 Election Office records, it is $234,300 so far, a staggering sum for county-level elections. It is four times more than what the other two Dist-7 candidates have received, combined.

Ergo, one cannot help wondering if some of Van Ostenbridge’s various misfeasances and malfeasances can be explained by the generosity of his big-money campaign benefactors.

Especially things KVO has done or promoted that otherwise make no sense at all, such as the notorious Manatee Beach parking garage.

The garage is the $40-$45-million, multi-level, pay-to-park parking garage that Van Ostenbridge is clamoring to erect on the sands of beautiful Manatee Beach in the island City of Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island. KVO justifies this parking garage on the unsupported notion that this beach is underused due to a shortage of convenient, publicly-available parking spaces that prevents off-island County residents and visitors from using and enjoying the beach on weekend and other high-use beach days.

Van Ostenbridge knows this unsupported notion is false. Knowledgeable officials and KVO’s own eyes tell him the predominant impediment to off-islanders using Manatee Beach on high-use beach days is the terrible, bumper-to-bumper, snail-pace-or-worse traffic they face just getting over to Anna Maria Island. Moreover, this geographically small neighborhood beach is not underused. On high-use beach days, with “just” the 425 onsite parking spaces it currently has, the beach typically is packed shoulder-to-shoulder and umbrella-to-umbrella with beachgoers.

It is no wonder commission Dist-3 residents and others are so angry about the garage.

It will make a terrible traffic situation substantially worse, congestion-wise and public-safety-wise; it will sully the natural pristine beauty of this Gulf Coast beach; it will put the beach’s iconic, uberpopular beachfront establishments out of business; it will eliminate all 425 existing fee-free onsite parking spaces; and, during its projected two-year-plus construction phase, there will be no onsite parking opportunities at all.

Although the animosity created by the garage is reason enough for Van Ostenbridge to cancel his Dist-3 campaign and pursue George Kruse’s Dist-7 seat, KVO is also vindictive. Kruse has angered KVO by raising important questions that beg for answers before the county proceeds any further with the garage. Shame on Kruse to want the county to run itself businesslike.

In closing, I will leave you with another old axiom: Every vote counts. And in an election as close as the Aug. 20 commission Dist-7 Republican primary threatens to be, every vote is important. Van Ostenbridge has had his way with our county long enough, so let us work together to stop the hurt now.

And let us commission Dist-3 residents combine forces to see that Van Ostenbridge’s ally and proxy, April Culbreath, loses her Aug. 20 commission Dist-3 Republican primary election to her opponent, Tal Siddique.

 

 

Jerry Newbrough

Holmes Beach

District 3 primary pits Siddique against Culbreath

District 3 primary pits Siddique against Culbreath

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

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.

District 3 primary pits Siddique against Culbreath
Siddique

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.

District 3 primary pits Siddique against Culbreath
Culbreath

“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.

Van Ostenbridge switches races

Van Ostenbridge switches races

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – Incumbent District 3 Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge announced he’s no longer seeking reelection in his current district.

He will instead seek election to the District 7 at-large seat currently held by George Kruse, who seeks re-election to another four-year term in that seat. The two sitting county commissioners will square off in the District 7 at-large Republican primary that concludes on Tuesday, Aug. 20.

On May 31, Van Ostenbridge filed his campaign redesignation letter with the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office, as did former District 7 Republican candidate April Culbreath, who is now running against Tal Siddique in the District 3 Republican primary.

The winner of the District 7 Republican primary will then face the winner of the Democratic primary between Aliyah Hurt and Sari Lindroos-Valimaki in the general election. The winner of the District 3 Republican primary will face Democratic candidate Diana Shoemaker in the general election.

On May 31, Van Ostenbridge distributed the following text announcement regarding his political lane change: “For me, it boiled down to this: Manatee County Republicans deserve a truly conservative representative who believes in the free market; who will never apologize to liberals; and who will protect and defend every God-given constitutional right. I can continue to represent west Bradenton and at the same time restore the promise of conservative representation to the county as a whole. George Kruse is a liberal. I am a staunch Trump conservative. George Kruse thinks the government knows best. I know the people know best.”

Van Ostenbridge shared his pro-Trump campaign statement the day after a 12-person New York jury found the former president guilty of all 34 felony charges alleged against him.

 

Van Ostenbridge switches races
George Kruse seeks reelection to another four-year term as the District 7 at-large county commissioner. – VoteKruse.com | Submitted

On June 1, Kruse provided The Sun with the following written response to Van Ostenbridge’s statement: “Both the decision to run away from the District 3 race and the context of his announcement are not a surprise to anyone. After a lifetime of living in his district and four years of ‘representing’ his district, the residents out west made it clear through their polling that Kevin only represents himself and a very small handful of people in Manatee County and his district wants him out. I’m happy for those residents and I’m hopeful they’ll once again have a commissioner who actually cares about their voice and their future.

“His announcement of this change is a reflection of how they’ll campaign throughout 2024. When you know you can’t run on your record, you deflect and distract in hopes of finding enough uninformed voters to manipulate into voting against their best interests. Kevin’s consultant (Anthony Pedicini) will deflect everything wrong with him onto me while they continue pushing their revisionist history of the facts. Kevin has consistently fought to stifle the voices of the people he claims ‘know best.’ Through his actions on Anna Maria Island and throughout the county, he has proven to be the foremost advocate of authoritarian, big government, tax-and-spend policies Manatee County has had on our board in a very long time,” Kruse stated.

“I’m hopeful that our community has finally been pushed too far by Kevin and his syndicate. The public is waking up and an informed electorate is not their voter base,” Kruse stated.

DISTRICT DIFFERENCES

Van Ostenbridge has invited opposition on Anna Maria Island due to his ongoing efforts to build a three-story parking garage at the county-owned Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach. Since being elected to the District 3 seat in 2020, Van Ostenbridge has frequently feuded with Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth and Police Chief Bill Tokajer about beach parking and other parking allowances.

Van Ostenbridge switches races
These anti-Van Ostenbridge campaign signs can be seen throughout Manatee County. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

District 3 includes all of Anna Maria Island, all of Cortez, the northern half of Longboat Key, west Bradenton and portions of Bradenton. It was long-rumored that Van Ostenbridge would switch to the District 7 at-large race if early polling numbers indicated he might not win the District 3 race, which features fewer total voters and a higher percentage of Island voters. Island voters make up a significantly smaller percentage of the total votes cast in the countywide District 7 at-large race.

When winning the election for the first time in 2020, the then-relatively unknown Van Ostenbridge received 23,213 (58%) of the 39,766 votes cast in the general election in which he faced non-party-affiliated opponent Matt Bower. Van Ostenbridge was the only Republican primary candidate in that race.

When winning the election for the first time in the 2020 District 7 at-large Republican primary, Kruse received 21,184 (57%) of the votes cast in the primary race that also included former county administrator Ed Hunzeker. When later running unopposed in the general election, Kruse received 159,894 (93%) of the 171,437 votes cast, with unnamed write-in candidates receiving 11,543 votes.

CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING

According to the latest campaign fundraising reports, Van Ostenbridge has raised $214,253 so far. Kruse raised $37,088, Valimaki raised $500 and Hurt has raised nothing. In the District 3 race, Siddique has raised $26,933, Culbreath has raised $19,993 and Shoemaker has raised $25,767.

Monday, July 22 is the deadline to register to vote in the August primary. July 22 is also the deadline to change one’s party affiliation to vote in the Republican primaries that will help determine who ultimately wins the county commission seats up for grabs in this year’s general election.