For Bradenton City Council Ward 3, TBT recommends Thomas Schwarz

The non-partisan Bradenton City Council Ward 3 race features appointed incumbent Kemp Schuessler and political newcomer Thomas Schwarz.

Schuessler was appointed to the seat in July of last year, filling the vacancy created when former Councilman Josh Cramer was named Chief of Police. Schuessler, 59, has spent three decades in financial services, first as a financial advisor on Wall Street and then as an insurance executive in Florida.

Schwarz grew up in Bradenton and graduated from Manatee High School. He earned an Associate of Arts degree from State College of Florida before graduating from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor’s degree in Professional and Technical Communication and a minor in Sociology. He has worked in the hospitality industry while also working as a freelance editor, researcher, and content development professional.

What has impressed us most about Schwarz is his intense focus on community outreach and engagement. He has spent an enormous amount of time listening to local business owners and everyday residents to understand what they want to see in their city as it continues to evolve. He strikes us as something of a throwback candidate running the kind of direct, grassroots campaign that was standard in small-government elections before the advent of big-money politics and the ensuing dominance of the consultant class.

In his podcast interview, Shwarz impressed us as a thoughtful, open-minded, non-partisan advocate for his city who genuinely wants to see Bradenton have a future that aligns with the desires of the community as a whole and not just the special interests who too often disproportionately benefit within the good old boy system that has dominated Bradenton politics for too long.

Schuessler was initially scheduled to interview with us but later withdrew, a decision that seemed to coincide with support from the PAC-funded, special-interest-dominated establishment. Unfortunately, we do not know much about Schuessler's platform, but the fact that developer-funded special interests are pushing Schuessler and Keith Green over Lisa Gonzalez Moore and Mr. Schwarz gives us tremendous pause.