Republican Campaigns Turn to the Same Old Dirty Tricks

In 2024, Manatee voters proved they cannot be swayed by the slick campaign flyers and text messages flooding their mailboxes and phones. However, as we head into another crucial primary, local campaigns have again resorted to tactics that insult Republican voters' intelligence.

Recently, Amanda Ballard posed with what appears to be a machine gun half her size in a new campaign image posted at early voting sites. I guess Republicans are just supposed to ignore her actual record and be mesmerized into voting for such a fake portrayal of a desperate candidate.

If Ballard really owned such a gun, it would be credible if distasteful, but staging a picture with a prop is a scam. According to the rumor mill, her developer-friendly husband thought Amanda would win votes by posing with a massive weapon in what appears to be a white prom dress. Seeing that just makes you feel sorry for someone so desperate for votes that they could be pushed to do something that probably wasn't even their idea.

But perhaps that malleability is her weakness—from removing local wetland protections (we can easily guess which developer pushed for that vote) to diverting funds needed to repair a failing parking garage to buy an old building in Lakewood Ranch. This move not only wasted millions of taxpayer dollars but also displaced a county workforce. Her unintended consequences have caused economic harm to downtown businesses. When you remove over 100 people who support the downtown economy, those businesses suffer. We need commissioners who know better and cannot be pushed into bad decisions.

The campaign flyers Mike Rahn is stuffing in your mailboxes, along with the text messages sent to your phone, attack his opponent and flat-out lie about his own record. Anyone paying attention to county commission votes knows Mike Rahn is not holding developers accountable, despite what his campaign messaging claims.

Rahn also voted to remove our local wetland policies, making it clear he works for the best interests of the developers. I guess he truly believes his vote to cater to developer Carlos Beruff by removing those critical protections isn't considered "harmful development." Carlos is trying to destroy wetlands for high-rises on Sarasota Bay’s last protected mangrove shoreline specifically because Rahn eliminated our local rules. So, do not tell voters you are stopping harmful overdevelopment.

Rahn has also attacked his opponent, Glen Gibelina, with a hateful, heartless piece about something in Glen’s past that should have generated praise from anyone who knows the whole story—which I am sure Rahn does. But to them, campaigns are not about the truth; they are about winning at any cost. This type of campaigning is what allowed Kevin Van Ostenbridge to get into office and destroy so much of our beautiful county.

Now, we are finding out that this wasteful spending is part of the reason this county is facing a financial crisis. Ballard and Rahn are using the exact same campaign tricks taught to them by Anthony Pedicini, their original political consultant. While Pedicini may not be directly associated with Rahn and Ballard right now, his tactics are still in play—the same tactics that fooled voters into electing KVO.

This is one of the strangest races, as Republicans target other Republicans and claim they aren't "real" Republicans. A Republican primary is, by definition, a race between Republicans. It is up to the voter to decide which Republican goes to the general election. Saying your Republican opponent isn’t a real Republican is just ignorant and disrespectful.

Melton Little has been targeted by Jordan Varnadore. Varnadore was once a respected name in Palmetto. But Jordan does not have the extensive record of community service that Melton does, so he attacks him for once being a Democrat. Well, don’t tell Varnadore, but Republican President Donald Trump was also once a Democrat. Is that any different? If you are a Republican, shouldn't you want more people to join your cause, rather than attacking them just because they decide to run for office? Varnadore is the Secretary of the Manatee Republican Executive Committee, which, along with Chair Mark Flanagan, has sent texts targeting Varnadore’s opponent that appear to violate the oath and policies of the local Republican Committee.

Then we look at the Congressional race, where Republican candidate Sydney Gruters’s only qualification seems to be her endorsement by Trump. Spoiler alert: having a Trump endorsement does not automatically make you a qualified candidate. We actually need a representative who can make sound decisions on critical issues like the conflict with Iran, our $40 trillion national debt, and the abuse of presidential powers constantly challenging the Supreme Court.

Sending out campaign messages relying solely on an endorsement is not a substitute for qualifications. Gruters has also failed to participate in an honest debate or even appear on a podcast. We endorsed Ed Pope after his time on our podcast. I challenge anyone to listen to that interview and fail to understand exactly why we endorsed him. He is articulate, educated, a retired law enforcement officer, and I found myself in agreement with all of his candid responses. If you want real change, consider Ed Pope for Congress.

So, as we enter the final leg of the campaign, it is time for those who have not yet voted to decide. At The Bradenton Times, we have provided the best election information for Manatee County. We have produced 24 candidate podcasts, an endorsement page, and a comprehensive election information page. We work hard all year to investigate important issues, share what your government is—or isn't—doing, and provide a trusted resource for our community.

As one of our readers, we ask that you share our election information with your friends and family. It is a small role you can play to help maintain our democracy and our way of life. A glossy mailer or a text message won't give you the honest information needed to make an informed decision in any race. And when you see an image of a woman in a pure white dress holding what appears to be an AR-15 asking for your vote—feel sorry for her, but don’t vote her back into office.

If you want to help support The Bradenton Times and the work we do, please click this link to subscribe or donate.

Joe McClash is the publisher of The Bradenton Times. He is a Marine Corps veteran and served on the Manatee County Commission from 1990 to 2012.