Veteran officeholder Carol Whitmore handily won her quest to serve another four-year term on the Manatee County Board of Commissioners.
Whitmore, a Republican and resident of Holmes Beach, defeated Democrat Sundae Lynn Knight, a rookie campaigner, in the Nov. 2 race for the District 6 at-large seat.
The unofficial vote, according to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office, was 70,075 for Whitmore, 31,656 for Knight.
Knight’s election night party was at Joyland in Bradenton.
Whitmore’s campaign celebrated at Mattison’s Riverside in downtown Bradenton.
“I am very proud of this campaign,” Whitmore said. “It was very important to address only the issues and the facts. My candidacy was about accomplishments, services and a record of success.”
Whitmore was first elected to the county post in 2006. Prior to that election, she served as Holmes Beach mayor and city commissioner.
The Republican, who was unopposed in the August primary, said her top priorities are encouraging the creation of jobs and bringing more business to the area, especially the port.
“The state of the economy in Manatee County remains first and foremost in my campaign,” Whitmore said. “Just five or six years ago, we had the lowest unemployment rate in the country. We need to decrease the unemployment rate and help current businesses expand as well as attract new companies that offer well paying jobs. “
Knight, an engineer, said she decided to run after learning how many colleagues and friends had lost their jobs in recent years.
For more election coverage, read the Nov. 10 issue of The Islander.