Qualification closed for candidates seeking state and county office today. The following candidates running in Sarasota and Manatee counties qualified to appear on the ballot. Primaries and school board races are scheduled for Aug. 28 with the general election scheduled for Nov. 6.
State Senate
District 23
Faith Olivia Babis – D
Joe Gruters – R
State House
District 70
Keisha Bell - D
Wengay “Newt” Newton - D (incumbent)
Vita D. Sheeley - D
District 71
Tracy B. Pratt - D
Will Robinson - R
District 72
Margaret Good – D (incumbent)
Jason Miller - R
Ray Pilon - R
District 73
Liv Coleman – D
Tommy Gregory – R
Melissa Howard – R
District 74
James Vernon Buchanan – R
Robert Samuel Kaplan – NPA
Tony Mowry – D
Linda Yates – R
Manatee County
County Commission 2
Reginald Bellamy – D
Dimitrie Denis – R
Charles B. Smith – D (imcumbent)
County Commission 4
Mark D. Black – R
Laurie Galle – R
Melton Little – D
Misty Servia – R
County Commission 6 (at-large)
Candace Luther – NPA
Carole Whitmore – R (incumbent)
School Board 2
Alice Kaddatz
Charles Kennedy (incumbent)
School Board 4
James F. Daniel, Jr.
Scott L. Hopes (incumbent)
Joseph Stokes
School Board 5
John Colon (incumbent)
James T. Golden
Sarasota County
County Commission 2
Ruta Maria Jouniari – D
Alexandra Coe – R
Christian Ziegler – R
County Commission 4
Wesley Beggs – D
Mike Cosentino – D
Alan Maio – R (incumbent)
Lourdes Ramirez – R
School Board 1
Nick Guy
Bridget Ziegler (incumbent)
School Board 4
Shirley Brown (incumbent)
Karen Rose
School Board 5
Pamela Anne Gavette
Jane Goodwin (incumbent)
Richard Paul Linden
Justin Cody Willis
(list will be updated further today if necessary)