Florida › Manatee County › Manatee County School Board District 5
2 candidates are tracked for Manatee County School Board District 5, headed to a November 3, 2026 runoff: Camden T. Bedinghaus and Jonathan Mullis. Candidate information follows official Manatee County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
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
Nonpartisan
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.
2026 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
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-08-19.
Reported fundraising: $5,200 (county campaign-finance filings).
Campaign site →
Jonathan Mullis
Nonpartisan
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.
2026 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
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-08-19.
Reported fundraising: $27,863 (county campaign-finance filings).
Campaign site →
