Hines to run for re-election to County Commission

Sarasota County Commissioner Charles Hines will run for re-election for his District 5 seat in the 2016 election.

“I like the position that Sarasota County’s in and I like what’s on our plate,” Hines said during the Politically Unfiltered radio show on WSRQ yesterday. “We have so many good projects that are coming and we need someone to continue to work on them."

While Hines is the first to enter the District 5 race, Republican Mike Moran and Democrat Fredd Atkins have already filed to run for the District 1 seat and North Port Republican Jim Blucher has filed paperwork for the District 3 seat.

Hines raised $60,405 and defeated fellow Republican and Tea Party candidate Randy McLendon with more than 58% of the vote in the 2012 primary election, and beat write-in candidate Brian Slider with 97% of voter support in the November election.