For Manatee County Commission D6, TBT recommends Ed Ference

The Manatee County Commission District 6 Republican primary will see four candidates vie for the nomination for the seat being vacated by Republican incumbent Jason Bearden. District 6 is an “At-Large” seat, meaning this race will appear on the August ballot for every Republican voter in Manatee County. The winner will face Democrat and former District 2 Commissioner Reggie Bellamy in November.

This is another race in which we are excited about the qualifications of multiple candidates. But while more than one of them might have earned our endorsement in other cycles, we find Ed Ference to be the best-suited Republican in the field, given the challenges currently facing Manatee County.

Prior to running for the BOCC, Ference had a 30-year career with Manatee County Government. Working his way up from a meter reader to division manager for underground wastewater collection, Ference has gained an invaluable insight into the inner workings of Manatee County Government, including its shortcomings.

We have witnessed online chatter casting his career with the county in a negative light, portraying him as a county insider who would be overly loyal to top bureaucrats in what many rightfully view as an administration that leaves much to be desired. Make no mistake, Mr. Ference is running to reform an administration whose faults and foibles he knows all too well.

In fact, we have witnessed many grassroots candidates who have run on reform only to shrink once elected, often because the process of understanding exactly what a massive bureaucracy like the county government does and then assessing whether it is operating at a high level of efficiency is beyond daunting for political newcomers. Here, we feel that Ference’s unique career experience as one of the county’s most respected and effective division managers would be an invaluable resource.

Most importantly, Ference is a sustainable growth advocate with a passion for preserving rural Florida. While he is running for the District 6 at-large seat, Ference makes his home in District 5, much of which has been under assault from overdevelopment. He is a Manatee County native and lifelong east county resident who knows the impacts of overdevelopment with inadequate infrastructure all too well. We are confident that Ference will stand up to Big Development whenever warranted.

Tara Poulton brings one of the most diverse and relevant resumes of any county commission candidate we have seen. As the District Chief of Staff to Congressman Vern Buchanan, constituent service has been Poulton’s specialty. As a former employee of multiple government agencies, including Vice President of Public Policy and Workforce Partnerships for the Manatee Chamber of Commerce, spokesperson for DeSoto County Government, and Senior Government Affairs Regional Manager for the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Poulton has spent her entire career gaining experience in various aspects of public administration.

On paper, Poulton is as qualified as they come, and, under normal circumstances, we feel she would be an excellent candidate who would fit into the Kruse-Siddique wing of the BOCC—two candidates that this publication endorsed in 2024. However, given the failure of the new board to enact meaningful reforms (owed mostly to preemption from the state), we feel it is even more crucial to elect the commissioner whom we are most confident will have the fortitude to make the hard decisions and buck powerful special interests when it comes to reforming county administration and remaining utterly resolute when it comes to sustainable growth. To that end, Ference gives us the greatest degree of confidence.

John Calovich seems like a well-intentioned candidate who is concerned about overdevelopment and infrastructure, but his command of the relevant issues and historical understanding of the county and its government pale in comparison to those of the other three candidates. We initially found Tony Barrett, a former county EMS employee and current East Manatee Fire Commissioner, to be an interesting candidate. However, his recent arrest on a domestic battery charge will surely give voters pause and is unlikely to be adjudicated prior to the primary. If true, the accusations against him would certainly be disqualifying.

This is, in our opinion, a race between Ference and Poulton, and while Ference is the less polished and articulate candidate, we feel he would provide a strong, independent voice backed by a deep understanding of the government he would be crafting policy for. That, combined with our confidence in his willingness to fight tooth and nail on sustainable growth issues, gives us confidence that he is the best candidate for the job. The LWVMC recently hosted a debate between the candidates that can be viewed ">on YouTube.