George Kruse Files to Seek Second Term on Manatee County Commission

BRADENTON — On Thursday, Republican Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse announced he has filed to seek re-election to the District 7 seat next November.

Elected in 2020 to the seat that was vacated by Commissioner Betsy Benac, Kruse defeated former Manatee County Administrator Ed Hunzeker in the Republican primary and went unopposed in the general election.

Kruse has spent his career in commercial real estate finance. He graduated from Sarasota's Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in 1993 and has degrees in both Management and Finance from the University of Florida. He subsequently received his MBA in real estate finance from Columbia Business School.

"Manatee County is growing out of its small-town roots and its current and future residents need a board committed to focusing on real, local issues and not wasting taxpayer time and resources on issues that are outside the purview of a local official," wrote Kruse in a blog post announcing his candidacy. "We are making great strides, and our county is at the precipice of greatness, but much work still needs to be done. Our recent focus on removing regulations to spur the development of housing for our teachers, nurses, young professionals, and first responders, as well as our under-housed veterans, has been extremely successful but we can't let our foot off the gas these next four years."

Kruse came into office with significant support from the development community, most notably Medallion Homes CEO Carlos Beruff. With Anthony Pedicini as his paid consultant and dark-money PAC support from developers, he and Hunzeker spent much of their efforts trying to out-MAGA each other to establish who was the real conservative Republican and who was the "RINO."

Once in office, Kruse initially formed a four-person majority on many issues with commissioners Kevin Van Ostenbridge, James Satcher, and Vanessa Baugh. He first broke with the clique by voting against Van Ostenbridge's effort to get rid of then-county administrator Cheri Coryea, before later providing the swing vote that would facilitate her ousting.

Throughout 2023, Kruse increasingly became more isolated from the other six commissioners on the board, including the retail pet sale ban, the gutting of the county's wetland protection policies and an initial effort to scuttle the recent affordable housing for veterans project.

While that has made him much more popular with Manatee County residents across the political spectrum, it has earned scorn from the developer cartel. Most recently, he's been attacked as "Comrade Kruse," with a whisper campaign suggesting he is some sort of undercover left-wing liberal/socialist.

"The citizens of Manatee County deserve a government that focuses on local issues, not grandstanding," wrote Kruse. "A government that focuses on efficiency and cost savings, not consolidating power. A government rooted in the ideals of transparency, with a fundamental desire to allow all residents to be heard, not just a select few."

Kruse announced a commitment to run his own campaign and not bundle checks from LLCs or PACs "that give a select few any perceived influence."

"I will attend all debates and continuously speak with the community without hiding behind scripts and pre-vetted, 'friendly' events," wrote Kruse. Finally, I will pledge to focus on the local issues that affect your day-to-day lives and the positives of my proposed policies."

So far, Kruse is facing two opponents in the GOP primary, Keith Green and April Culbreath. No other candidates have yet to file outside of the primary.