Going into the final weeks of the campaign, the two incumbents seeking re-election to the Sarasota City Commission have a clear financial advantage over their opponents.
District 2 incumbent Eileen Normile, an attorney, had about $12,000 left in her campaign account as of the latest campaign finance reports filed with the city on April 17. Her report shows she’s raised nearly $32,000 for her campaign, and spent almost $20,000.
Her challenger Liz Alpert, also an attorney, had just $3,000 left, after spending almost $23,000 of the nearly $26,000 she has raised during the entire campaign.
Both Normile and Alpert have picked up support from key political leaders in the community. Normile’s donations this month include checks from former city commissioners David Merrill, Nora Patterson and Mollie Cardamone. Alpert received donations from former city commissioner Ken Shelin and current Sarasota School Board member Shirley Brown.
While the combined $57,000 raised in the nonpartisan District 2 race is sure to grow, it still has a long way to go to catch up with past expensive races in the city. In 2007, then District 2 incumbent Mary Anne Servian spent more than $70,000 in a losing effort against Dick Clapp, who spent almost $21,000.
And in 2013, three candidates vying for two city-wide seats spent a combined $123,000.
In the other city race on the May 12 ballot, incumbent Stan Zimmerman has not raised as much money as his opponent Shelli Freeland Eddie, but he had more money left in his campaign account as of the latest campaign reports. Zimmerman has raised about $11,000 and spent $2,700. That leaves him with more than $8,000 for the May 12 election.
Eddie has spent about $12,000 of the $15,000 she has raised for the campaign, leaving her with about $3,000 for the stretch drive.
The winners of the two races will get four year terms that pay about $26,000 a year. Early voting is from May 4 to May 9 at the Sarasota County Terrace Building, 2001 Adams Lane, Sarasota.
Ben Carson in Sarasota
Just a week before he announces whether he will run for president, Republican Ben Carson will give a Sarasota GOP crowd a taste of what to expect.
Carson, a former neurosurgeon from Baltimore, is the keynote speaker on Monday at a GOP rally starting at 5:30 p.m. at Dolphin Aviation, 8191 N. Tamiami Tr., Sarasota.
He’s just the latest of a string of 2016 GOP contenders who have been in Sarasota over the last six months. U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry have been through the area since October.
For tickets and more information visit SarasotaGOP.com
A 2016 rematch in Manatee
The District 1 Manatee County Commission race for 2016 is feeling a little like deja vu.
Over the last three weeks, the same three candidates who battled in the race in 2012 have filed to run in a rematch.
Incumbent Larry Bustle, former Manatee County sheriff’s deputy Corie Holmes and Army veteran Nathaniel Leonard have signed up for another battle. All three are Republicans.
“I hope it ends the same way,” said Bustle, the two-term commissioner hoping for another four-year term.
One thing will be different: Holmes is running as a Republican. In 2012, Holmes was a Democrat.
“My decision to switch political parties came after careful consideration of my views and beliefs based on the issues before our county commission today,” Holmes said.
Bustle beat Leonard in the primary in 2012 by 28 percentage points. He beat Holmes in the general election by 24 percentage points.
