Race Analysis: Manatee County Commission District 3

The Manatee County Commission District 3 race features Republican Tal Siddique and Democrat Diana Shoemaker.

In the Republican primary, Siddique won an impressive grassroots victory over a well-funded developer-backed candidate, who we felt represented a grave threat to the community were she to be elected.

While campaigning, Siddique has demonstrated a solid grasp of the issues facing the county. His campaign has focused on returning to a community-driven government, one that actively seeks to engage citizens, understand the will of the community, and be responsive to its needs. We find this quite refreshing, considering the disdain for public input that the current board has so routinely demonstrated, save Commissioner George Kruse.

Siddique has an impressive background in high-level IT, including work for the Veterans Administration and the United States Air Force. His experience in problem-solving complex issues would be an obvious asset. Siddique’s even keel, paired with his impressive ability to articulate effectively on complicated subjects, would undoubtedly serve him well in building consensus among board members.

We have not had much youth on the board in recent years, and while outgoing D3 Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge—the only board member in their thirties for quite some time—proved arrogant and petulant, Siddique has demonstrated a maturity that suggests he can bring a younger perspective without such baggage. I believe he could be an outstanding commissioner.

Diana Shoemaker is the former CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Manatee County. She is a proven leader with a track record of working for the betterment of our community. What’s more, she has crucial experience in an area of grave importance to county government: improving the stock of affordable workforce housing—something that has never been more important to Manatee County than it is right now.

Shoemaker brings many of the same intangibles as Siddique. She is an effective communicator with a measured approach that will lend itself well to building consensus on the board. Her campaign has focused on many of the same themes, including seeking community engagement and encouraging citizens to articulate their vision as our community grows and changes over time.

Shoemaker has a wealth of experience bringing people together to get things done. On a board that has been dominated by partisan ideologues who see working across the aisle as some betrayal, it would be nice to have someone who has been far more committed to building bridges than to building walls. I believe she, too, has the potential to be an outstanding commissioner.

Because we believe that both Siddique and Shoemaker would make excellent commissioners, The Bradenton Times will not be making an endorsement in this race.  We suggest that D3 voters take the time to listen to each candidate’s appearance on The Bradenton Times Podcast below and decide which candidate they feel would be a better representative for the district.