Local Government Final Hours of Candidate Qualifying Spawn a Few Surprises

MANATEE COUNTY – Friday at noon was the deadline for candidates who wished to be on the ballot or eligible to receive write-in votes to meet the respective qualifying requirements. From unexpected last-moment entrants, to write-ins who would close off otherwise open races, the final ballots will include at least a couple surprises.

Paul Sharff, executive director of the Early Learning Coalition, jumped into the race for the District 2 school board seat being vacated by retiring Harry Kinnan. He is the fourth contestent to enter the race, which already included attorney Dave "Watchdog" Miner, as well as teachers William Chaltis and Robert Moates. Sharff filed for the seat Friday morning, the deadline for candidate qualification.

Another late entrant, Paula House, a former school teacher from Lake Placid, has qualified to challenge former Republican state Rep. Bill Galvano in the newly-drawn Florida Senate District 26. House is a Democrat, so both will be unopposed in their respective primaries. Galvano has already raised several hundred thousand dollars and will be a heavy favorite in the Republican-leaning district.

Write-in candidates Could have a significant impact on the County Commission District 7 race. Contrary to popular misconceptions, write in votes do not count unless they are for a candidate who has filed and qualified as a write-in candidate - which requires no signatures or qualifying fee. The number of blank lines on the ballot indicate how many candidates have done so in each race. When there is a write-in candidate in races where only one party has candidates filed, it closes off an otherwise "open" election, where members of the other party would be able to vote.

District 7 had first appeared to be an open race, with Republican incumbent Joe McClash facing an open-primary challenge from Betsy Benac. However, two write-in candidates have filed, Thomas Dell and Scot Findlay, which will now prevent Manatee County voters who are registered as Democrats, independents or other non-Republican parties from voting in the race, which they would have been able to do had write-in candidates not filed. 

In the City of Bradenton, Travis Holliday, who had filed to run in the Bradenton Mayoral race, did not qualify to be on the ballot. Holliday's exit makes it a three-person race between incumbent Wayne Poston, Ward 2 Councilwoman Marianne Barnebey, and Manatee Democratic Party Chair Richard O’Brien, who filed only a week before the deadline.

In Palmetto, Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant remained unopposed as of the qualification deadline. Tamara Cornwell (at-large) is also running unopposed. Ward 1 Commissioner Charles Smith, who was recently appointed to his seat to replace retiring Mary Lancaster, drew a challenge from Carolyn Higdon, the other applicant to fill Lancaster's seat. Jonathan Davis and Eric Gilbert are running for the seat that is being vacated by Commissioner Alan Zirkelbach (at-large).

In the Supervisor of Elections race, Rodney "Smokey" Smithley did not qualify as a Republican candidate, but filed as a write in candidate instead, so while his name will not be on the ballot, Smithley will be eligible for write-in votes. Previously unopposed Clerk of the Circuit Court, R.B. "Chips" Shore, drew a write in candidate, Annamarie Riethmiller, but no opposition on the ballot. Tax Collector Ken Burton remains unopposed.