Updated Nov. 6, 10:33 p.m. MANATEE COUNTY – Manatee County voters, including those on Anna Maria Island, re-elected incumbent District 6 at-large County Commissioner Carol Whitmore to another four-year term.
County voters also elected Misty Servia in the District 4 race and Reggie Bellamy in the District 2 race.
Whitmore, a Holmes Beach resident and former Holmes Beach Mayor, received 98,214 votes (63.36 percent) and her challenger Candace Luther received 56,797 votes (36.64 percent).
In the District 4 race, Servia received 11,590 votes (52.08 percent) and Melton Little received 10,663 votes (47.92 percent).
In the District 2 race, Bellamy received 10,583votes (58.27 percent) and Dimitrie Denis received 7,580 votes (41.73 percent).
In the lone remaining Manatee County School Board race, Scott Hopes defeated Joe Stokes. Hopes received 70,386votes (51.62 percent) and Stokes received 65,957 votes (48.38 percent).
BRADENTON BEACH – Bradenton Beach voters re-elected incumbent Bradenton Beach City Commissioners Ralph Cole and Marilyn Maro, choosing them over challengers Tjet Martin and John Metz.
Bradenton Beach voters supported a return to geographically-based City Commission wards as one of seven proposed charter amendments recommended by the Charter Review Committee and supported by city voters.
Running unopposed, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy and commissioners Amy Tripp and Brian Seymour retain their seats and will serve additional two-year terms in office.
Bradenton Beach commission races
In the Bradenton Beach race for the two seats currently held by Cole and Maro, Cole received 282 votes (32.12 percent), Maro received 242 votes (27.56 percent), Metz received 189 votes (21.53 percent) and Martin received 165 votes (18.79 percent).
Maro and Cole will serve additional two-year terms on the City Commission and be sworn in on Monday, Dec. 19. Their victories will maintain for another year a commission that also includes Mayor John Chappie and commissioners Jake Spooner and Randy White.
Charter amendments
Bradenton Beach voters also decided the fate of seven proposed amendments to the city charter and one park rezoning request.
Voters adopted Amendment 1. This means geographically-based City Commission wards will be reinstated beginning with next year’s elections: 295 voters (58.65 percent) supported the amendment and 208 voters (41.35 percent) opposed it.
Despite this sign of opposition, Bradenton Beach voters adopted several charter amendments proposed by the Charter Review Committee. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Voters adopted Amendment 2. This means City Commission candidates will now have to be registered city voters and will have to provide addition proof of residency when seeking office: 413 voters (79.73 percent) supported the amendment and 105 voters (20.27 percent) opposed it.
Voters adopted Amendment 3. This means the city charter will expressly state Bradenton Beach has a balanced form of city government in which all five members, including the mayor, have the same legislative and executive powers: 308 voters (61.48 percent) supported the amendment and 193 voters (38.52 percent) opposed it.
Voters adopted Amendment 4. This means the City Commission will retain the sole authority to hire and fire charter officials and departments heads, even if a city manager was to be hired in the future: 290 voters (58.23 percent) supported the amendment and 208 voters (41.77 percent) opposed it.
Voters adopted rejected Amendment 5. This means Article II and Article III of the city charter will be renumbered and reorganized (merely an administrative housekeeping matter): 306 voters (62.58 percent) supported the amendment and 183 voters (37.42 percent) opposed it.
Voters adopted Amendment 6. This means the commission will retain the ability to fill vacant City Commission seats by commission appointment: 328 voters (64.57 percent) supported the amendment and 180 voters (35.43 percent) opposed it.
Voters adopted Amendment 7. This means the charter requirements and processes that already apply to citizen-led, petition-initiated city ordinances and resolutions will also apply to citizen-led, petition-initiated efforts to amend the city charter: 320 voters (65.04 percent) supported the amendment and 172 voters (34.96 percent) opposed it.
City voters also supported the city’s request to rezone Katie Pierola Park from its current R-3 Multi-Family Dwelling District zoning designation to a Parks/Recreation/Open Space zoning designation. The vote was 460 votes (89.15 percent) in favor of the rezoning and 56 votes (10.85 percent) opposed to the rezoning request.
Incumbent Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore won her primary race, incumbent Commissioner Charles Smith lost his and Misty Servia won the District 4 Republican primary contest.
Reggie Bellamy unseated his incumbent opponent. – Submitted
Reggie Bellamy received 2,178 votes (52.16 percent) and Smith received 1,998 votes (47.84 percent).
Running unopposed, Demitrie Denis won the Republican District 2 primary and he will face Bellamy in the general election in November.
In the race to fill departing Commissioner Robin DiSabatino’s District 4 seat, Misty Servia defeated Mark Black and Laurie Galle in the Republican primary.
Servia received 2,668 votes (55.5 percent), Black received 1,161 votes (24.15 percent) and Galle received 978 votes (20.35 percent).
Misty Servia won her Republican primary. – Submitted
Melton Little ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and he will face Servia in the general election.
In the District 6 at-large race, incumbent commissioner and Anna Maria Island resident Carol Whitmore won her Republican primary race, defeating challenger James Satcher.
Whitmore received 21,274 votes (55.61 percent) and Satcher claimed 16,979 votes (44.39 percent). Whitmore will now face independent candidate Candace Luther in the general election.
“I’m happy that I still have the support of the Manatee County citizens and I look forward to winning the general election,” Whitmore said after the results were known.
Island resident Carol Whitmore won her Republican primary. – Submitted
In the gubernatorial primaries, Manatee County voters favored Democrat Gwen Graham and Republican Ron DeSantis, with DeSantis as the leading gubernatorial vote-getter in the county.
