Local Government Golden Enters District 5 BOCC Race

James Golden

BRADENTON – Former Congressional challenger and city council member James Golden has entered the race for Manatee County Commission, district 5 seat that will be vacated by Donna Hayes. Hayes announced last week that she will not be seeking another term, after a heavily-publicized traffic incident in which she was cited for careless driving and failure to report an accident.

Golden, a Democrat, lost a landslide to incumbent District 13 Congressman Vern Buchanan in 2010, though he surprised many in the party establishment with an impressive fundraising performance for a seat not considered to be "in-play."

The effort breathed new life into his political career, which seemed in doubt after he lost his re-election race for the Bradenton City Council in 2007. A local minister, Golden also holds a law degree from the University of Florida and was a practicing attorney before leaving law to attend Turner Theological Seminary at Atlanta University.

Vanessa Baugh

Vanessa Baugh, a prominent Lakewood Ranch jeweler, has already filed to seek the Republican nomination for the seat. Set to face Hayes in a primary, she appears to be uncontested for the time being. The first candidate to file, Baugh is off to a fast start with over $24,000 in contributions reported – the most of any non-incumbent running for the BOCC. Aside from Rev. Golden, no other Democrats have filed to run for District 5.

The race will be contested during the November presidential elections with the winner taking the seat at the next scheduled meeting of the board, rather than in 2013, as is the case for most races. For information on how you can run for this or any other Manatee County seat, visit the Supervisor of Elections website's Becoming a Candidate page. Stay tuned to The Bradenton Times for in-depth election coverage of this and all major local races.