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Amanda Ballard looks to hold GOP control of Manatee County Commission’s District 2

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7 days ago

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Republican Manatee County Commissioner Amanda Ballard has filed to run for re-election to the county’s District 2 seat, seeking a second term representing much of the county’s urban core including parts of Bradenton and Palmetto.

Ballard is framing her campaign around public safety, infrastructure investment and quality-of-life improvements into a district she said has historically been overlooked.

“Over my term as Commissioner, we’ve made great strides in a District that has often felt forgotten and left behind,” Ballard said in a news release. “Now, District Two is in the center of the conversation, for the right reasons.”

District 2 flipped Republican in 2022 for the first time in roughly three decades, when Ballard defeated Democratic incumbent Reggie Bellamy. 

“I’m not here to grandstand, or score political points, but to improve the lives of people in District 2,” Ballard added. “That’s why we’ve had unprecedented success achieving reinvestment in the urban core for the first time in decades.”

Ballard highlights a mix of large-scale capital projects and smaller neighborhood initiatives as evidence of reinvestment in the area since she took office.

Those projects include the John Marble Recreation Center, the Washington Park Community Center, the Under One Roof women’s shelter and the Bradenton Area Convention Center, as well as efforts to preserve the historic Mixon Fruit Farms property from development. She also touts lower-cost initiatives such as the county’s Bookmobile program, community gardens and expanded constituent services.

The Commission has reduced millage rates in two of her three years in office, and Ballard promises to follow through with “a historic cut planned for 2026.”

Ballard’s political platform also focuses on the need for public safety and social service improvements. She emphasized her role in shaping the county’s use of opioid settlement funds, as well as a strategy to expand shelter capacity, centralize services and more strictly enforce public safety laws through partnerships with law enforcement and social service providers.

Ballard said she plans to run a consultant-free campaign, relying on family, friends and local supporters. She worked with political consultant Anthony Pedicini and his firm SIMWINS during her first political campaign.

Before her election, Ballard worked as a lawyer for the Department of Children and Families practicing child welfare law. She and her family live in Bradenton.

“District 2 is the heart of Manatee County,” Ballard said. “It’s where public safety, infrastructure, economic development, and quality of life for hardworking families all intersect. Decisions made for this district demand leadership that understands how all these moving parts work together. I bring continuity, creativity, and collegiality to a Board that could use more of all three.”



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Gaming officials, sheriff’s investigators bust 3 suspected illegal gambling houses in Lake County

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11 hours ago

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January 11, 2026

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Officials say illegal houses of gambling were broken up in Umatilla and Leesburg following complaints filed with law enforcement.

Three illegal gambling locations were shutdown this month by the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) and several law enforcement agencies in Lake County.

The joint investigative operation named “Calvin Coolidge” focused on the sites that were engaged in illegal gambling in Umatilla and Leesburg. FGCC officials said the investigation was launched after complaints and other research into reported illegal slot machines.

Following the execution of several search warrants, officials seized 231 gambling machines such as slot machines and some $157,000 in illegal gambling funds.

“These enforcement actions demonstrate our commitment to protecting Florida communities and preserving the integrity of the state’s gaming laws,” said FGCC Executive Director Alana Zimmer. “Illegal gambling operations undermine lawful businesses and exploit patrons. FGCC will continue to work proactively with law enforcement partners to shut them down.”

The lead law enforcement agency was the Lake County Sheriff’s Office who teamed up with FGCC investigators and targeted the House of Treasure on State Road 19 in Umatilla. There, investigators seized 56 illegal gambling machines and nearly $76,000 in cash from those machines. Three people were served notices to appear on charges of possession of slot machines and keeping a gambling house.

Two other sites in Leesburg, Hot Seats on U.S. 27, and The Hub on West Main Street, yielded more evidence. Investigators seized 77 illegal gambling machines at Hot Seats and $35,621 in suspected gambling machines. Two people were given notices to appear on the same charges of possession of slot machines and keeping a gambling house.

The Hub yielded more evidence including 98 illegal gambling machines and $46,597 in suspected illegal gaming proceeds. Another two people at The Hub were administered notices to appear on the same charges at the other locations in Lake County.

The FGCC has been stepping up more investigations into illegal gaming establishments in the state since early 2025.



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Erika Booth starts 2026 with commanding cash lead in HD 35

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13 hours ago

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January 11, 2026

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Rep. Erika Booth is starting 2026 with a sizable financial edge in one of the most closely watched House races in the state.

Campaign finance reports show the St. Cloud Republican closed 2025 with $111,752 raised in her campaign account and an additional $98,971 on hand in Booth PAC for an overall total of $192,119 on hand.

Booth’s lone challenger so far, Eric Gray, is starting the year with significantly fewer resources. Gray, a Democrat, entered the House race in October after previously running for Orange County Commission. He showed $15,860 raised in his first reporting period and spent $11,957, leaving him with less than $4,000 on hand at the end of the 2025.

Republican leaders have already signaled HD 35 remains a priority district this cycle. Booth is expected to receive full support from House Speaker-designate Sam Garrison and the Florida House Republican Campaign Committee, the primary campaign arm for state House Republicans.

Before her election to the House, Booth spent more than 20 years working as an elementary school teacher and previously served on the Osceola County School Board.

Gray has spent decades leading nonprofit organizations in Orange County and has cited opposition to HB 1365, a 2024 homelessness-related measure sponsored by Garrison, as a central motivation for his campaign.

HD 35 covers parts of Orange and Osceola counties. According to the most recent L2 voter data, the district is home to 42,837 Republicans and 41,806 Democrats as well as 48,995 third- and no-party voters.

The incumbent won the seat in 2024, defeating Democrat Tom Keen 52%-48% in a rematch after Keen prevailed in a 2023 Special Election. At the top of the ticket, Donald Trump carried the district with 52% in 2024, while Gov. Ron DeSantis won it with 56% two years earlier.



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Gov. DeSantis names an appointment and reappointmen to the UWF Board of Trustees

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14 hours ago

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January 11, 2026

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The appointment, Kevin Mason, is an alumnus of University of West Florida.

The University of West Florida (UWF) Board of Trustees is getting a new member while another is returning to the panel for continued service.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced this month that he’s appointed Kevin Mason to the panel that oversees policy for UWF. DeSantis also reappointed Paul Bailey to the Board of Trustees for the campus located in Florida’s Panhandle.

Mason is an alumnus of UWF where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from the school. Mason is also steeped in business.

Mason is the CEO and Co-Founder of Acentria Insurance which is based in Destin. The company now has offices and services throughout the Southeast United States and has grown to about 50 locations. Mason was also a Producer and Managing Partner of the North Florida Operations for the Insurance Office of America.

Bailey will return to the board following the reappointment. Bailey is a lawyer for Welton Law Firm. Welton is based in Crestview and provides multiple legal services.

Bailey is also a registered firearms instructor with the National Rifle Association. He’s also an Adjunct Professor at Pensacola Christian College. Bailey earned his pre-law bachelor’s degree from that school and went on to get his law degree from Regent University.

The UWF Board of Trustees has 13 members that sit on the panel.The board is the governing body for the institution.  Florida’s Governor appoints six of those members while the board itself votes on appointments for the other five members.

The President of the Faculty Senate occupies one of those seats while another is held by the President of the Student Government Association.

The UWF campus had a student enrollment of nearly 16,000 as of Fall Semester.

The appointment and reappointment named by DeSantis still have to get final approval by the Florida Senate.



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