ANNA MARIA – Local candidates have qualified to run the track in some of the races for county commission, school board and the state Legislature.
And some races will include a primary vote.
Kevin Van Ostenbridge, along with Matthew Bower and Nathan Meyer, qualified to run for the District 3 seat on the Manatee County Board of Commissioners. Van Ostenbridge is running as a Republican, Bower posted no party affiliation and Meyer is a write-in candidate, setting the stage for a November contest in the district that includes Anna Maria Island.
Cortez activist Joe Kane, who announced a write-in bid for the seat, did not qualify and incumbent Stephen Jonsson did not seek reelection.
In District 7, an at-large countywide seat, Republicans Ed Hunzeker and George W. Krus will compete for the party nomination in the August primary.
Write-in candidate Thomas Whitten Dell also qualified to run for the seat on the November ballot.
Incumbent Betsy Benac did not seek reelection.
District 1 incumbent Priscilla Whisenant Trace will be on the ballot in August and November, while District 5 incumbent Vanessa Baugh will face a challenge in November.
In District 1 for the Manatee County School Board, a nonpartisan race, incumbent Gina Messenger and newcomer Bridget Mendel qualified for the ballot.
In District 3, incumbent Dave Miner is facing a challenge from qualified candidates Christine Dawson, Scott Boyes, Mary Foreman and Rick Murphy.
In the race for Florida House District 71, which includes Anna Maria Island, incumbent Republican Will Robinson will face Democrat Andre “Andy” Mele in November.
In Florida Senate District 21, Republicans Jim Boyd and John Manners Houman will square off in the August primary before one of them faces Democrat Amanda Linton in November.
Sen. President Bill Galvano, Bradenton, could not seek reelection due to term limits.
Incumbents for county constitutional offices will not face opposition, with the exception of Supervisor of Elections Michael Bennett, a Republican, who will face off against Democrat Charles Williams Jr. in November.
The November ballot also will include federal races for Congress and the White House.
— Lisa Neff