Benac to Withdraw from Reelection Bid

BRADENTON – Manatee County Commission Chair Betsy Benac announced this week that she will be ending her bid for re-election in November. Benac has served as one of two countywide "at-large" commissioners since 2012. She filed to run for a third term in December of last year and had already amassed nearly $30,000 in campaign donations when she made the announcement.

"After careful consideration and discussions with my family, I’ve made the tough decision to withdraw my candidacy for re-election to the County Commission," said Benac in a press release announcing her departure from the race.

Benac (R-district 7), who publicly defended her son following a heavily-publicized arrest on felony animal cruelty charges in 2017, said she wanted to focus on her family.

"My family is the most important thing to me, and now, more than ever, I need to focus on them. It has been an honor to serve the great people of Manatee County for the last 8 years and I am grateful for the community support that I have received along the way," she added.

When Benac made the announcement, she faced only a primary challenge from Palmetto attorney Paul Finer. However, almost immediately after Benac announced her withdrawal, fellow Republican and former Manatee County Administrator Ed Hunzeker announced that he would be dropping out of his district 5 primary race with incumbent Vanessa Baugh to pursue the district 7 seat instead. Fellow Republican George Kruse also left his district 1 race to join the District 7 contest.