Legal action adds fuel to heated Manatee County BOCC races as August primary draws near

Political signs have been planted, campaign advertisements aired, sample ballots mailed, and now, legal action has been filed in high-stakes races for Manatee County's governing board.

The Manatee County Commission was transformed in November 2020 by four successful campaigns from candidates represented by Tampa-based political consultant Anthony Pedicini and his firm Strategic Image Management.

This year, three new challengers also represented by Pedicini seek to make it a clean sweep, vying to unseat District 6 at-Large commissioner Carol Whitmore, District 4 commissioner Misty Servia and District 2 commissioner Reggie Bellamy, the lone Democrat on the board.

The Aug. 23 primary election for Districts 6 and 4 has already drawn legal action filed over a campaign sign controversy and claims over misleading political advertising.

This year's general election also will test new boundaries for District 2 following redistricting late last year.

Pedicini's influence on Manatee County

Pedicini's firm represents Jason Bearden, Mike Rahn and Amanda Ballard. If they win their political races, they would likely align with the values of his other clients already serving on the board.

Commissioners Kevin Van Ostenbridge, Vanessa Baugh, George Kruse, and James Satcher all are represented by Pedicini and have voted together on most major decisions — often leaving Whitmore, Bellamy, and Servia on the losing end of contentious 4 to 3 votes.

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This August, Republican voters will be able to cast a ballot in two key primary races that will decide the fate of the 3 seats not held by Pedicini's clients. Bearden and Carol Felts are challenging Whitmore for the at-Large District 6 seat, while Rahn seeks to knock Servia out of the District 4 seat after just one term.

The Republican candidates who win during the primary will likely cruise to victory in November because there are no Democrats running for those seats.

Bearden was criticized earlier this year for his affiliation to two write-in candidates who also filed for the at-Large District 6 seat but are known to support his campaign, Manuel Antonio Llamas and Robert Lesher.

'It's silly season'

Manatee County politics have grown more contentious with Pedicini behind the wheel of all four successful 2020 campaigns, and high-stakes elections this year are treading familiar waters.

"I'm not used to these dirty politics and lies," Whitmore said. "The hate campaigns are very new since the last election really. It's like all holds are barred. You can say whatever you want whether it's the truth or not."

"It's silly season right now ... I try not to fall in that trap and a lot of people notice every time my opponent sends hate mail or sends a text message. I raised $1,200 while I was sleeping last night."

More: Campaign sign controversy fuels high-stakes Manatee County District 6 race

And: Write-in candidates close high-profile Manatee County Commission primary elections

Candidates have been quick to take legal action against one another as the Aug. 23 primary draws near.

Tensions in the at-large District 6 race escalated when Bearden pressed theft charges against Whitmore over the removal of campaign signs from private rental properties owned by well-known developer Shawn Kaleta in Holmes Beach.

The case was sent to the 12th Judicial District State Attorney Ed Brodsky, but his office has recused itself because of potential conflict of interest and deferred the case to the 13th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Andrew Warren's office. Warren, however, has been suspended by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Bearden told the Herald-Tribune he does not plan to drop the charges.

"I hope the state attorney and law enforcement hold Carol accountable," Bearden said. "She admitted to breaking the law, and as people know I am a big supporter of law and order. So yes, I will pursue justice."

Whitmore maintains her innocence and said she has not been contacted further by prosecutors.

Felts, who lives in Myakka, sees herself as the grassroots candidate in the race for the at-large seat. She criticized Bearden for running on hot-button issues and his inexperience in county matters, and Whitmore for her inability to sway votes despite her tenure on the board.

"Taking that drive from Myakka all the way here to downtown, you see the breadth of what our county offers," Felts said. "It's all fun and games to go 'Oh look a chicken, gun control, babies, god, religion, military service.' But it's like come on guys, the job is not to change the world. We'd just like to have good infrastructure, clean water. We can't keep saying America first. What does that mean?"

Servia takes action, claims hate crime

Servia also has taken legal action in the District 4 race and claims Pedicini's firm is behind fraudulent messaging meant to tarnish her reputation.

She first sent a cease and desist letter in late June threatening legal action against Rahn and Baugh over claims that she called Gov. Ron DeSantis a racist. Rahn doubled down on the claim in campaign materials distributed by Pedicini's firm.

Servia escalated the matter on Aug. 3, submitting an affidavit claiming a hate crime has been committed to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office over a mass text message that she believes was coordinated by Pedicini's political consulting firm in an attempt to discredit her.

More: Servia threatens legal action against Rahn in Manatee County District 4 primary race

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The text message included a cutout picture of Servia with the words "For Misty Servia," and in the body said that the "Manatee LGBTQIA+ Alliance is proud to support Misty Servia for County Commission. Transgender children must be protected from their ReThugLican Parents!"

In her affidavit, Servia claimed the LGBTQIA+ Alliance is a fake organization that does not exist in Manatee County, and that it was Pedicini's company responsible for the mass text message.

"This is a sleaze-ball tactic that attempts to drive a wedge between our citizens," Servia wrote in the affidavit. "This is an attempt to defraud voters based on prejudice and hate. The entire Manatee County is at risk for violence and protest based on this lie."

"This same tactic was used during the local 2020 election. A fraudulent text was mass distributed claiming Ed Hunzecker was endorsed by "Black Lives Matter" in an attempt to incite violence and protest," she wrote. "The common element in these two examples is that political consultant Anthony Pedicini of Tampa-based company Strategic Image Management represents clients who would benefit."

Pedicini denies having any knowledge of the text message and told the Herald-Tribune he also plans to take legal action against Servia for claiming he coordinated the effort without evidence.

"First of all, being offended that an LGBTQ group would endorse you is extremely homophobic," Pedicini said. "Second, I believe she did this herself because she is trying to save her election. We had nothing to do with this. I will swear under oath that I had no knowledge, no input. Neither myself nor Mike Rahn had anything to do with this. No one I know had anything to do with this. By the way, no one we know has received a text message like that in the district."

Republicans test District 2 after redistricting

The District 2 primary gives Democrats one notable county commission race during the August primary, a rematch between former commissioner Charles Smith and incumbent candidate Reggie Bellamy. Neither candidate returned requests for comment on this story.

The winner of that race will face Republican challenger Amanda Ballard during the November general election. She is running unopposed and is guaranteed a spot on the ballot.

The district previously stretched into downtown Bradenton, but the territory was drawn into District 3 during redistricting efforts late last year. To offset the change, other portions of Bradenton previously in District 4 were added to the district, such as the blue-collar Oneco community that has a high percentage of minority residents.

From 2021: Manatee County approves new commissioner districts for first time in decade

Although Democrats have held the District 2 seat since 1994, Ballard could pose a significant challenge this year after the district's boundaries were redrawn.

"It's a really good year for Republicans, and I've gotten a lot of excitement about my candidacy thus far," Ballard said. "I do think that the redistricting improves my chances this year. I think voters in Oneco share a lot of the same concerns that people in the other portions of District 2, like for example Palmetto shares. So I think it definitely makes sense because our issues are quite similar."

Ballard, who lives in Oneco, said she believes her background as a child welfare attorney makes her a unique candidate to address concerns that plague underserved Manatee County populations, like opioid abuse and the need for affordable housing.

"I think there is a stereotype that Democrats are the champion for the little guy, but I think that's really just a clever talking point," Ballard said. "I want people to understand that a Republican running for this seat is going to be a champion for regular people in District 2."

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Heated Manatee County Commission election races head to primaries