- January 8, 2026
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During the 2024 elections, Take Back Manatee was a citizen coalition and political movement that targeted every county commissioner who was considered a “puppet for special interests.”
The coalition was backed by the Citizens for Cleaner Government political action committee.
Leading up to that election, Manatee County commissioners lessened wetland protections and began approving development past the future development area boundary. Residents were angry and many vowed to make their disapproval known at the polls.
They did.
Commissioners Kevin Van Ostenbridge and Ray Turner lost their seats, and former commissioner James Satcher lost his bid to keep his position as the supervisor of elections after he had been appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Commissioner Bob McCann, who ran on a campaign to stop approving developments until Manatee County could catch up with its infrastructure, predicts that 2026 will be another strong movement by the voters to help him fulfill his priorities.
He has struggled with that aspect since the 2024 election. McCann, Carol Felts and Jason Bearden regularly find themselves on the short end of 4-3 votes, with George Kruse, Tal Siddique, Amanda Ballard and Mike Rahn having been on the prevailing side of key votes.
McCann, Felts, Kruse, and Siddique all have terms that run through 2028, while Rahn, Bearden and Ballard are up for reelection.
In the race for the District 4 seat, which includes University Park and Palm Aire, Rahn is running for reelection. He spoke to the Manatee Patriots at the John Marble Park Recreation Center Dec. 16.
Before Rahn’s speech, Glen Gibellina, a District 4 resident and an affordable housing advocate, made an announcement.
“In the last several months, we’ve been losing by one vote — 4-3, 4-3, 4-3 — and it’s not going to change any time soon, at least not until the next election,” Gibellina said. “We just need one more vote, and I believe I can be that vote, so I’m announcing now my candidacy for District 4 for county commissioner.”
Obviously, Gibellina has made it clear he shares similar philosophies with McCann and Felts, but even if he did win, that is only one of three seats available.
Since Bearden has said he won't run again, McCann and Felts will need two more votes.
Gibellina noted that Rahn is a “good guy” and he looks forward to some lively debates before the primary election, as both candidates are Republicans.
Whether you agree with his voting record or not, Rahn earned his “good guy” reputation by meeting with constituents when they have issues and never shouting or name-calling on the dais, which several current and past commissioners have done.
Rahn is a mortgage loan officer by trade, but he noted that he’s not a “developer candidate.” He simply believes in sustainable, good growth.
“Manatee has to grow,” he said. “We’re going to have 500,000 residents by 2030.”
One audience member first thanked Rahn for his attention to detail in the Whitfield area, but then asked if he would ever say no to a new development out east.
Rahn responded that he already has voted to deny new developments out east. In particular, he named Pope Ranch.
SimplyDwell Homes, a brand by Neal Communities, requested a rezone of approximately 217 acres to build 440 homes on Rutland Road in Parrish.
The development was denied unanimously, and now SimplyDwell, Manor National Properties LLC and the property owners are suing Manatee County.
Following the Patriots meeting, Rahn told the East County Observer that what he hears from District 4 residents is that they're more concerned with mobility and reducing crime and homelessness over development out east.
"I want to bring good urban and economic development into the district to support neighborhoods," he said. "I want people to have good neighborhood services. That's why I'm working so hard on U.S. 41."
Rahn has championed Vision 41, a project focused on improving the functionality and visual appeal of the thoroughfare from Cortez Road to the Sarasota County line.
In 2024, Take Back Manatee created a flyer that posed the question, "Which candidates are bankrolled by special interests?” Van Ostenbridge, Turner, Satcher, April Culbreath and Steve Metallo landed on Take Back Manatee's list of bankrolled candidates.
All five candidates had two things in common — they lost their elections, and they hired Anthony Pedicini with SimWins LLC to run their campaigns.
Commissioner George Kruse was a Pedicini client in 2020, but ran his own campaign in 2024. He described Pedicini’s political strategy as targeting uninformed voters and using “endless piles of money” to pay for attack ads.
Pedicini's strategy seated every Manatee County commissioner during the 2020 and 2022 elections, but it backfired in 2024.
Rahn said Pedicini became bigger than the campaigns. For 2026, Rahn already has hired Max Goodman, whose clients include Rep. Vern Buchanan and Rep. Fiona McFarland.
Commissioner Amanda Ballard is up for reelection in District 2 and also has opted not to re-hire Pedicini.
In 2022, Ballard described herself as a “political novice,” so hiring Pedicini seemed a natural choice based on his winning record.
This time around, Ballard is going to follow Kruse’s lead and run her own campaign.
“When I was running in 2022, my district had felt forgotten and set aside for decades,” Ballard said in an email. “District 2 is the historic heart of Manatee County, and for the first time in many years, we’re back at the center of the conversation — for the right reasons.”
Ballard spearheaded the purchase of Mixon Fruit Farms, but said she’s most proud of the work she’s done on “the intersection of substance abuse, housing instability, mental health and homelessness."
“I have taken the lead on addressing these issues head on,” she said. “We opened the county’s first shelter for women, Under One Roof, taking 46 women in crisis off the street immediately and providing services for self-sufficiency and recovery.”
The ribbon cutting ceremony was held Oct. 1.
Currently, Ballard’s only opponent is Shavonda Griffin, a Sarasota resident with no party affiliation. If Griffin wins, she’ll have to move to District 2 in Manatee County.
In her candidate statement, Griffin describes herself as a “humanitarian, minister, youth organizer, educator, entrepreneur, poet, author, inventor and so much more.”
Bearden is the current District 6 commissioner, which is an at-large seat so candidates living anywhere in Manatee County can enter this race.
It's the only race that will not see an incumbent on the ballot, as Bearden will not be running for reelection.
Bearden's focus has shifted from politics back to business. He is currently working toward his doctorate in business administration, which will take the next three years to complete.
He will, however, "finish what he started" and fulfill his term as commissioner through the end of the year.
"I am grateful to God and to the people of Manatee County for the honor of serving as your county commissioner," Bearden said. "Thank you for the trust you placed in me and for the opportunity to serve our community."
John Calovich, a Savanna at Lakewood Ranch resident and an executive sales manager, announced his candidacy for the at-large seat in October.
His website reads, “I’m working to build a team of at least four votes to return the Manatee County government back to the people.”
He told the East County Observer that residents don’t need more car washes, they need functioning roads, sewers and stormwater systems.
“The building has got to be stopped,” Calovich said. “Give the government back to the people. Let them make decisions about what they want and don’t want.”
So far, only Republicans are vying for the at-large seat. In addition to Calovich, Tony Barrett, Anthony Drake and Edward Ference have filed with the Supervisor of Elections office.
Braden Woods’ Barrett has been a realtor for the past 21 years. He’s a U.S. Army veteran and former firefighter and paramedic.
Palmetto’s Drake is the lead pastor at Vision Church in Sarasota, and East County’s Edward Ference worked for Manatee County Utilities for over 30 years.
