Fundraising for Holmes Beach political candidates is ramping up.
With less than four months to go before the Nov. 5 general election, three candidates have raised more than $1,000 in campaign contributions — including both mayoral candidates.
This year’s competition for the mayor’s seat includes two candidates: incumbent Mayor Judy Titsworth and political newcomer Michael “Mike” Ross.
Titsworth — granddaughter of the city’s namesake John Holmes Sr. — first served as a commissioner and was elected mayor in 2018. She was reelected without opposition in 2020 and 2022.
Roth spent 34 years in continuous active service in the U.S. Army and the Florida Army National Guard.
He currently works as the West Florida area executive and corporate group manager for City National Bank.
Roth got off to a quick start fundraising, with all $2,834.83 of his reported campaign contributions in the April 1-May 31 reporting period.
The bulk of his contributions came from three donors, including $1,000 and $500 checks from Holmes Beach residents John Reed and Thomas Rushmore, respectively, as well as a $1,000 check from Tampa businessman James Hugs.
Other contributions include $214.83 to himself, $50 from both Marjorie and Richard Motzer, as well as $20 from Clearwater resident Randy Kane.
Roth also reported $377.06 in total expenditures, including the costs of checks, door hangers and a website.
However, Roth reported no contributions, in-kind or otherwise, nor expenditures for June 1-14.
A report for June 15-28 was due to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office by July 5 but was not available on the SEO’s website, votemanatee.com, as of July 6.
On the other hand, Titsworth may have gotten off to a slower start but she lapped Roth in funding in her P2 report.
Through P1, Titsworth had only reported a $1,000 contribution to herself and $284.60 in expenditures, including her $281.60 qualifying fee and $3 for temporary checks.
In P2, Titsworth received $4,150 in additional campaign contributions and racked up $1,133.85 in new expenditures.
Most of the new campaign contributions came from three $1,000 checks from three businesses, all owned by Bradenton Beach resident Jacob Spooner, a former Bradenton Beach commissioner.
Those businesses include the Island Bazaar Inc., 3304 E. Bay Drive, Holmes Beach; the Bridge Street Bazaar, 107 Bridge St. Unit A, Bradenton Beach; and the Fish Hole, 115 Bridge St., Bradenton Beach.
The remaining $1,150 in P2 contributions were from five other checks.
The largest is a $500 check from brother-in-law William Bystrom, who owns the Island Animal Clinic, 5343 Gulf Drive, Suite 900; followed by a $300 check from City Commissioner Pat Morton; then a $200 check from Kentucky resident Diane Madsen.
Rounding out the contributions is $100 from John Rigney, another brother-in-law, whose personal information was exempt from public disclosure, and $50 from Holmes Beach resident Glenn Hall.
For P2 expenditures, Titsworth reported a $1,090.44 cost for political signs and $43.41 to create a website.
The next reporting period will be P3, which covers June 29-July 12 and has a July 19 deadline for filing financial reports.
Commission candidates
The third candidate with more than $1,000 in reported campaign contributions is Carol Whitmore, a former city commissioner and mayor, as well as a former county commissioner.
Whitmore reported $1,200 in contributions to herself in P1 and followed that up with $2,055.80 in P2 contributions.
Those contributions consisted of nine donors, headlined by a $1,000 check from Palmetto resident Daniel McClure, who owns McClure Holdings and West Coast Tomato.
Whitmore also reported $250 from Anna Maria resident Darcie Duncan, owner of Duncan Real Estate; $200 from former Manatee County administrator Cheri Coryea; and $200 from Robert Carter, a former Anna Maria resident and chairman of Sarasota-based Carter, a consulting business.
Other contributions include $100 from Bradenton resident Tal Siddique, who is running as a Republican in the race for Manatee County’s Board of Commissioners District 3 seat; $100 from Holmes Beach resident Richard Motzer; and $100 from Bradenton resident Steve Eason.
Whitmore also leads the commission race in expenditures, reporting $819.56 through P2, including an $80.80 qualifying fee, $698.43 for political signs, as well as $40.33 in “fees” to New Orleans-based Anedot, a fundraising software company.
Planning commissioner Steve Oeflke has raised the second-most in contributions, but neither incumbent Commissioner Dan Diggins nor Clean Water Committee member Bill Romberger’s P2 reports were available on the SEO’s website as of July 6.
Oelfke had collected $703 in total contributions, including a $600 check to himself, a $3 in-kind contribution of cash to himself for campaign checks, as well as a $100 check from Commission Chair Terry Schaefer.
Romberger and Diggins trail the pack with $300 and $200 in total contributions, respectively, from loans to themselves.
Only Whitmore had reported more than $100 in campaign expenditures as of July 6, according to the SEO.
The four commission candidates will compete for two seats on the dais on the Nov. 5 municipal ballot.
Holmes Beach mayors earn a $28,160 annual salary.
Commissioners receive an $8,080 annual salary.
Both offices have two-year terms.
There were 2,436 registered voters in Holmes Beach as of July 5, according to the SEO.
