Manatee County Commissioner John Chappie has announced he will not seek re-election for the District 3 commission seat.
District 3 includes Anna Maria Island, the northern half of Longboat Key and northwest Bradenton.
In a March 7 news release, Chappie, a Bradenton Beach resident, said, “After careful consideration, it’s simply time to go in a different direction and I look forward to the future.”
Efforts to reach Chappie by telephone March 8 were unsuccessful.
Chappie, who ran for the partisan seat as a Republican, was elected to the county commission in November 2008. He ran unopposed in 2012.
County commissioners serve four-year terms.
Before being elected as a county commissioner, Chappie, who operated a landscape maintenance company at the time, served in Bradenton Beach as a member of the planning and zoning board 1986-2001, a city commissioner 1997-2001 and 2007-08, and mayor 2001-07.
He remained an active participant in the island community after winning the county seat.
Independent Matt Bower entered the election ring to challenge for Chappie’s seat Feb. 5 and Republican Stephen Jonsson is and active candidate, according to votemanatee.com.
Chappie said March 13 that he plans to relax and enjoy island life.
— Tal Reeve