The biggest player in the game just shook up the race for a Manatee County commission seat.
Republican Kevin Van Ostenbridge, who holds the District 3 seat, announced May 31 that he was switching to run for the District 7 at-large seat held by Republican George Kruse, who is seeking reelection.
Van Ostenbridge and Kruse will face off on the Aug. 20 GOP primary ballot.
District 3 covers the western side of the county, including all of Anna Maria Island and part of Longboat Key, while District 7 is inclusive of Manatee County.
Neither Kruse nor Van Ostenbridge responded to June 3 emails from The Islander.
Following Van Ostenbridge’s announcement, Manatee County Republican Executive Committee Chair April Culbreath redirected her campaign to run for the District 3 commission seat, dropping her run for District 7.
Culbreath began working in law enforcement in 1997, when she became a sheriff’s deputy. She eventually served as a crimes against children detective.
She entered politics in 2016 when she began volunteering for the Republican Party and has since served in county Republican leadership positions.
Culbreath will run for a seat also sought by Tal Siddique, a Republican, on the primary ballot. The winner will face Diana Shoemaker, a Democrat, in the general election.
Shoemaker was president and chief executive officer of Manatee Habitat for Humanity for 12 years before becoming executive director of the Elders Action Network, a nonprofit that works to improve social and environmental justice.
Siddique has worked for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. He also is the founder and president of the activist group Speak Out Manatee.
So far, Shoemaker and Siddique have led Culbreath in contributions and expenditures.
Shoemaker reported $25,767 in monetary contributions and $232.60 of in-kind contributions, as well as $10,591.05 in expenditures as of June 1, according to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office.
Siddique had raised $26,933 and $1,611.30 of in-kind contributions and had spent $13,749.24 as of June 1.
Culbreath had raised $19,993 and $5,000 of in-kind contributions as of June 1.
On the other hand, she has only spent $911.19.
County commissioners earn a $98,743 annual salary and serve four-year terms.
The window to qualify to run for a county office will open at noon Monday, June 10, and close at noon Friday, June 14.
To qualify with the SEO, candidates must open an official campaign bank account, appoint a treasurer and file a designation of campaign depository form before accepting contributions or using expenses.
A candidate must file a statement of candidacy with the SEO within 10 days of filing the financial forms.
Finally, candidates must pay a filing fee of 4% of one year’s salary of the office sought or present certification of petition signatures equal to 1% of the voters from the district in the last general election.
If prospective candidates fail to qualify with the SEO before the end of the qualifying window, they cannot run in the upcoming Nov. 5 election.
The deadline to register to vote in the Aug. 20 primary is July 22.