Servia, Whitmore Trail Challengers In Manatee County Commission Races

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — With all precincts reporting results as of 8:50 p.m., two Manatee County incumbents trail their challengers, while another has taken the lead, according to unofficial results from the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections office.

The votes are also in for three School Board of Manatee County races.

Polls closed at 7 p.m. and local results started being reported shortly thereafter. Florida counties are required to release updates every 45 minutes until they have completed their counts, Mark Ard, a spokesman for the Florida Department of State, told the New York Times.

Scroll down for real-time updates of election results. Refresh this page for updates.

Manatee County Commission

In District 2, incumbent Reggie Bellamy has the lead over his opponent, Charles B. Smith, with 63.74 percent of the vote as of 8:50 p.m., according to unofficial results from the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections office.

The winner goes up against Amanda Ballard, the lone Republican commission candidate in this district, on Nov. 8.

In District 4, Mike Rahn has a strong lead over incumbent Misty Servia with 62.45 percent of the vote, unofficial results show. The winner of this race faces two write-in candidates, Daniel Hansen and Timothy Norwood, in November.

“Tonight, the voters speak and THIS team has been incredible to work with! I thank you all for your hard work and deep love for our community. You are all amazing,” Servia wrote on Facebook alongside a picture of her campaign team.

For the District 6 at-large seat, Republicans chose between three candidates — Jason Bearden, Carol Ann Felts and Carol Whitmore, the incumbent. Bearden has a healthy lead over Whitmore with 61.5 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results.

The winner will go up against write-in candidates Robert Lesher and Manuel Antonio Llamas in the fall.

Manatee County School Board

Three candidates hoped to win the Manatee County School Board District 2 seat – Susan Agruso, Harold E. Byrd Jr. and Cindy Spray. Spray has a slight lead over her opponents with 38.89 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results. Close behind her is Harold E. Byrd Jr., who earned 35.55 percent of the vote, unofficial results show.

In District 4, two candidates faced off for the seat — Chad Choate, the incumbent appointed to the board last year by Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Sean L. Conley. Unofficial results show that Choate has the lead with 55.3 percent of the vote.

“Manatee County, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am both honored and excited to continue representing and advocating for our educators and children,” Choate wrote on his campaign’s Facebook page. “Thank you to everybody who have supported my family and myself throughout this campaign. Without you, I would not have been victorious. It’s now time to get back to work and make a difference!”

Meanwhile, three candidates — incumbent James T. Golden, Richard William Tatem and Chantal Wilford — are waiting to hear the results in District 5. Tatem has the lead with 50.5 percent of the vote, while Golden has earned 33.04 percent of the vote, unofficial results show.

In races with more than three candidates, the top two vote-getters face off on Nov. 8.

Manatee County: Primary Election 2022 Results

>> Real-time results for Manatee County races are below, via the Manatee County Supervisor Of Elections. Use the scroll bar on the right to see more.

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