Manatee County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026

August 18 primary result: Elizabeth Arnold won the six-way Republican primary for the open seat with 28 percent, per the Supervisor of Elections' unofficial results, and advances to the November 3 ballot, where a qualified write-in line also prints.

• Elizabeth Arnold · Republican▾

  Per Suncoast Searchlight, Arnold is a retired executive from Florida Power Corp., where she handled cash management and efficiency improvements. Her campaign site says she spent over two decades with Florida Power Corporation, rising to Director managing major financial operations, after earlier efficiency-review work for the City of St. Petersburg.

  Priorities: Conservation: 'Protect What We Have' by preserving Old Florida rural lands and fighting overdevelopment in sensitive areas, per votelizarnold.com · Infrastructure first: 'We cannot keep approving development without the roads, drainage, and emergency services to support it,' per votelizarnold.com · Public safety: improve EMS response times and better pay for EMS personnel, per votelizarnold.com

  Raised $20,148 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

  Campaign site →
• Sari Lindroos-Valimaki · Democratic▾

  Per Suncoast Searchlight, Lindroos-Valimaki works in cybersecurity and previously ran for the county's at-large District 7 commission seat in 2024.

  Priorities: Reassess the county's long-term plan, per Suncoast Searchlight · Prevent development-related loss of natural land, per Suncoast Searchlight · Restore integrity in governance: 'We need integrity back in government, and decency,' per Suncoast Searchlight

  Raised $11,406 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

  Campaign site →

August 18 primary result: incumbent Amanda Ballard won the Republican primary 67.5 to 32.5 percent over Edward Bailey, per the Supervisor of Elections' unofficial results, and meets Democrat Charles Smith on the November 3 ballot.

• Amanda Ballard · RepublicanIncumbent▾

  Per her official Manatee County commissioner biography on mymanatee.org, Ballard worked for nearly eight years as an attorney in the local child welfare system before being elected to the County Commission in November 2022; she holds a J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2015.

  Priorities: Housing affordability and reducing homelessness, per her official commissioner biography on mymanatee.org · Addiction recovery and job training, per her official commissioner biography on mymanatee.org · Strengthening families in Manatee County, per her official commissioner biography on mymanatee.org

  Raised $56,521 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

  Campaign site →
• Charles B. Smith Sr. · Democratic▾

  Charles B. Smith Sr. is a qualified Democratic candidate for Manatee County Commissioner District 2 on Manatee County's 2026 ballot, per the Supervisor of Elections' official qualified-candidate list.

  Raised $8,475 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

August 18 primary result: incumbent Mike Rahn won the Republican primary 67.5 to 32.5 percent over Glen Gibellina, per the Supervisor of Elections' unofficial results, and advances to the November 3 ballot, where a qualified write-in line also prints.

• Mike Rahn · RepublicanIncumbent▾

  Per his official Manatee County commissioner biography on mymanatee.org, Rahn worked for over 35 years as a residential mortgage leader in the Manatee/Sarasota market and is a former U.S. Marine Corps officer who served 13 years including in Operation Desert Storm; he was elected to the County Commission in November 2022, served as its Chair in 2024, and previously served on the Manatee County Planning Commission (20

  Raised $65,450 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

  Campaign site →

August 18 primary result: Tara Poulton won the Republican primary with 38.3 percent over Edward Ference, John Calovich and Tony Barrett, per the Supervisor of Elections' unofficial results, and meets Democrat Reggie Bellamy on the November 3 countywide ballot.

• Tara Poulton · Republican▾

  District Chief of Staff for Congressman Vern Buchanan (FL-16), overseeing district operations across Manatee County and southern Hillsborough County, per her campaign website tarapoulton.com and her VoterFocus (Manatee County Supervisor of Elections) filing; her career also includes roles at the Manatee Chamber of Commerce and DeSoto County government, per her campaign website.

  Priorities: Fiscal responsibility - holding the line on government spending to address affordability, per tarapoulton.com · Environmental protection, including opposing the proposed Manatee County cruise terminal over ecosystem concerns, per tarapoulton.com · Responsible growth and economic development with taxpayer protection, per tarapoulton.com

  Raised $45,901 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

  Campaign site →
• Reggie J. Bellamy · Democratic▾

  Executive Director of the Palmetto Youth Center, U.S. military veteran, and former Manatee County Commissioner, per his campaign website reggiebellamy.com; he is not the current officeholder - the county's two at-large commission seats are held by George Kruse and Jason Bearden, per mymanatee.org.

  Priorities: Infrastructure-first growth - roads, sewer, and stormwater addressed before development approvals, per reggiebellamy.com · Environmental protection balancing economic growth with stewardship of water resources and ecosystems, per reggiebellamy.com · Fiscal accountability - cutting waste, improving efficiency, and transparent use of taxpayer dollars, per reggiebellamy.com

  Raised $9,725 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

  Campaign site →

August 18 result: incumbent Cindy Spray (34.2 percent) and Sharon Jefferson (26.8 percent) advance to a November 3 runoff, per the Supervisor of Elections' unofficial results and WUSF.

• Sharon Jefferson▾

  Jefferson has been an educator in Manatee County for more than 26 years and currently teaches social studies at Sugg Middle School, per Suncoast Searchlight, which also reports she serves as education chair for the Manatee County NAACP.

  Priorities: Support Title I schools and economically disadvantaged students, per Suncoast Searchlight · Improve teacher retention, per Suncoast Searchlight · Address students' mental and emotional needs and eliminate educational gaps, per Suncoast Searchlight

  Raised $3,221 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

  Campaign site →
• Cindy SprayIncumbent▾

  Spray is the sitting School Board of Manatee County District 2 member, in office since November 22, 2022, per Ballotpedia; neither Ballotpedia nor Suncoast Searchlight details her professional occupation outside the board.

  Priorities: 'Putting students first' through increased classroom resources and teacher support, per Suncoast Searchlight · Transportation improvements and school security, per Suncoast Searchlight · School choice, including extending millage funding to charter schools, per Suncoast Searchlight

  Raised $26,426 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

  Campaign site →

August 18 result: Jonathan Mullis (35.3 percent) and Camden Bedinghaus (34.1 percent) advance to a November 3 runoff, per the Supervisor of Elections' unofficial results.

• Camden T. Bedinghaus▾

  Per Suncoast Searchlight, Bedinghaus is the 23-year-old director of the Turning Point USA Manatee County Hub and works as an independent journalist for Coastal Conservative News; his personal website describes him as a Christian conservative author, speaker, and independent journalist.

  Priorities: Declare a 'reading emergency' and refocus on common-sense academics, citing that nearly half of district students cannot read at grade level, per camforschoolboard.com · Accountability and transparency, including more parental access to information (a parent portal to view lesson plans), per camforschoolboard.com and Suncoast Searchlight · Teach real-world skills such as personal finance, budgeting, and economics, per camforschoolboard.com

  Raised $5,200 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

  Campaign site →
• Jonathan Mullis▾

  Per his campaign site votemullis.com, Mullis is owner and CEO of Physical Therapy Doctors of Florida in Bradenton with over 17 years as a small business owner; Suncoast Searchlight likewise describes him as a physical therapist and business owner.

  Priorities: Academic excellence: proficiency in reading, writing, math, and science, per votemullis.com · Expand vocational and technical programs with real-world work exposure, per Suncoast Searchlight · Support teachers by reducing administrative burdens, plus school safety and fiscal responsibility, per votemullis.com

  Raised $27,863 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

  Campaign site →

This race was not on the August 18 primary ballot: all three candidates appear on the November 3 general ballot, per the Supervisor of Elections' certified general-election list.

• Scott Johnson▾

  Scott Johnson is a qualified candidate for Manatee County Mosquito Control District Group 1 on Manatee County's 2026 ballot, per the Supervisor of Elections' official qualified-candidate list.
• Rodney O'Quinn▾

  Per kellerspestcontrol.com/about-us, O'Quinn is the sole owner and president of Keller's Pest Control, a Bradenton-based family pest control company he joined as a service technician in 1997; his Manatee County candidate filing (VoterFocus) lists a kellerspestcontrol.com email as his contact.
• Charles Richards▾

  Charles Richards is a qualified candidate for Manatee County Mosquito Control District Group 1 on Manatee County's 2026 ballot, per the Supervisor of Elections' official qualified-candidate list.

  Raised $1,200 · per Supervisor of Elections filings