The qualifying window to run for Holmes Beach’s mayoral post and two city commission seats opened June 8.
And a few people are lined up for the positions.
Three candidates — including two incumbents and a newcomer — had filed forms with the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections office as of June 5.
The available seats currently are held by Mayor Judy Titsworth, who is not seeking reelection, and Commissioners Dan Diggins and Carol Whitmore.
Diggins filed forms during the pre-qualifying period to run for the mayor’s seat. He was elected to the commission in 2022 and won reelection in 2024.
If a challenger does not qualify to run for mayor before the qualifying period ends at noon Friday, June 12, Diggins will automatically win.
Whitmore also filed forms with the SEO during the pre-qualifying period for reelection as a commissioner.
She first served as city commissioner 1991-98, then mayor from 1998-2006, before joining the Manatee Board of County Commissioners 2006-22. She was elected again to the city commission in 2024.
The newcomer, Steven Mark Hebden, also filed during the pre-qualifying period to run for one of the two available city commission seats.
He did not respond to a June 5 call and email from The Islander.
If Whitmore and Hebden remain the only candidates for city commission, they will automatically win the seats.
To qualify to run for any of the seats, a person must be a Holmes Beach resident for at least two years and file forms with the SEO before the qualifying period ends.
Those forms include:
- Appointment of campaign treasurer and designation of campaign depository, which must be filed before opening a campaign account and accepting or spending any funds;
- Statement of candidate, which must be filed within 10 days of Form DS-DE 9, appointment of treasurer;
- Oath nonpartisan office;
- Statement of financial interests.
Candidates must either file an affidavit of undue burden or pay an election assessment fee equivalent to 1% of the sought position’s annual salary via check to the SEO.
City commissioners earn an $8,210.04 annual salary and the mayor is paid a $28,680 annual salary.
Candidates also must submit a residency affidavit and submit 15 petition signatures from registered voters who are Holmes Beach residents.
There were 2,138 registered voters in the city as of May 26, according to the SEO.
To learn more, visit votemanatee.gov.