MANATEE — Palmetto resident Anthony Drake is the first candidate to announce plans to pursue election to the Manatee County Commission District 1 seat left vacant by the unexpected passing of Commissioner Carol Ann Felts ten days ago. Drake, a Republican, had previously filed as a candidate in the 2026 District 6 (At-Large) race.
“After thoughtful consideration and prayer, I have decided to redirect my efforts and intend to pursue candidacy for Manatee County Commissioner, District 1, in the 2028 election cycle,” wrote Drake in the withdrawal letter he submitted to the Supervisor of Elections on Friday. His letter further requested that his current candidacy for District 6 in 2026 be withdrawn.
Speaking by phone, Drake told TBT Friday evening that Felts’ passing came as a shock to him, as it did to the entire community. He said that though he’d never personally met the former D1 commissioner, he was aware of her advocacy for her district and referred to her as something of a “kindred spirit.”
“I appreciated the fact that she was not a career politician and respected how passionate she was about representing her constituents,” Drake told TBT. “She wanted to keep the land the way it is right now, and I’m not against building, but, like Commissioner Felts, I believe in thoughtful growth.”
Drake said that it's his intention, if elected, “to carry on Felts' legacy.”
County commissioners are elected to four-year terms, and Felts was elected in 2024, so her seat wasn’t scheduled to be reopened until 2028. However, with more than 28 months remaining in the District 1 term, Florida Statute § 100.111(1)(a) requires her seat to be opened for the 2026 election so voters can fill the remainder of the term.
As of Friday afternoon, the local SOE’s website did not show the District 1 commission race as an active election, but Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Scott Farrington told TBT by phone that his office anticipates the governor will formally declare the vacancy soon.
“At this point, we know that the vacancy exists, but it isn’t technically a vacant seat until an official declaration by the governor,” Farrington explained, adding that that declaration is done through executive order. The special election process is triggered once the governor declares a vacancy.
State law doesn’t require a governor to issue such an order within a specific timeframe, but Farrington noted that in a similar situation—the passing of former Lee County Commissioner Mike Greenwell in 2025—the governor declared the vacancy roughly three weeks after his passing. “We are expecting a similar timeframe,” Farrington said.
Farrington said that his office had already assisted several individuals who contacted his office seeking information on the vacancy and/or expressing interest in becoming a candidate.
On the Supervisor of Elections website’s current reporting groups for local elections and committees, Drake appears as an active candidate for the 2028 District 1 race, likely serving as a temporary placeholder until the seat is officially opened to accept filings for 2026. As of the close of business Friday, two other Republican candidates also appeared as filed for the 2028 District 1 race: Duette resident John Dunn and Myakka City resident Michael Harrison.
It was not immediately clear whether Dunn and Harrison plan to shift their candidacies to the 2026 District 1 race once it opens, as Drake declared he intends to.
According to information provided by Drake, appearing on the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections’ website, the candidate is a native of New York and relocated to Manatee County in 2013. He is a husband and father of four who has served as a local pastor for over a decade. Drake and his wife both serve in leadership at the Vision Church of Sarasota. Drake is the lead pastor, and his wife, Melinda, serves as the church’s worship director.
Under the Florida Constitution, Article IV, Section 1(f), the governor may appoint—but is not required— someone to fill the commission seat's vacancy temporarily, until the special election is held and voters elect new representation.
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