Politics
Melton Little, Dylan Modarelli, Jordan Varnadore battle for open HD 71 seat
Three Republicans are competing to succeed term-limited Bradenton Republican Rep. Will Robinson in House District 71, an open Manatee County seat that favors the GOP.
Melton Little has dedicated the race’s largest and most expensive campaign to a platform focused on growth, water and local control. Dylan Paul Modarelli is running as a self-described “Populist Republican,” pairing hard-line conservative positions with proposals aimed at housing costs and corporate interests. Jordan Varnadore’s campaign emphasizes his Palmetto roots, business background and lifelong Republican identity.
The winner of the Aug. 18 Primary will seek to replace Robinson, who first won election in 2018. HD 71 covers much of western Manatee County, including Bradenton, Palmetto and coastal communities. Republicans carried the district comfortably in 2024, when Robinson won with nearly 60% of the vote.
Little, a longtime Manatee County lawyer, grew up in Bayshore Gardens and later built a local law practice. His campaign highlights years of involvement with youth sports and charities, including recognition from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County.
Little aims to reduce harmful runoff into local waterways and says roads, water capacity and other infrastructure need to keep pace with development. He also supports reducing taxes and regulations on small businesses and argues local governments should have greater authority to handle local issues.
He has also made opposition to a developer-proposed cruise port near the mouth of Tampa Bay part of his platform. That issue has been prominent during Robinson’s final term as well. Robinson opposed the proposal as part of a broader environmental record that included efforts involving harmful algal blooms and seagrass restoration.
Little’s campaign also calls for housing affordability, immigration enforcement, religious liberty and Second Amendment protections.
Little has earned support from officials such as U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, retired Manatee County Sheriff Charlie Wells and former Manatee County Republican Party Chair Donna Hayes.
His campaign has a financial advantage. Little has raised more than $456,000 and spent nearly $327,000 through July 31. His affiliated Make Manatee Great Again PC has raised nearly $50,000, bringing the two accounts to more than $506,000 in contributions overall.
Little has supplied $290,000 of that money himself across the campaign and committee. Other donors include local attorneys and businesses, as well as the Florida Medical Association PAC and Realtors Political Advocacy Committee. Together, the campaign and committee have about $175,000 in cash on hand through July 31.
Modarelli has built his campaign around a more populist message and his personal experience overcoming hardship. He says his father died from a heroin overdose when he was 5, leaving his mother to raise him with financial help from relatives. He later worked as a police officer before entering the emerald trade and building a jewelry business. He is married and has one child.
Modarelli describes himself as a “Populist Republican.” His economic platform includes down-payment grants for working families, zoning changes to lower housing costs, restrictions on corporate landlords and an end to for-profit prisons.
He supports abortion restrictions, opposes gun restrictions, calls for armed security at every school and wants tighter limits on mail voting and ballot drop boxes. His campaign also proposes 10-year mandatory minimum sentences for trafficking fentanyl and calls for the drug to be classified as a “weapon of mass destruction to unlock national-level response,” according to his campaign website.
Modarelli is operating on considerably less money than either of his opponents. He entered the race in late May and has reported only about $500 in contributions and about $2,500 in candidate loans through July 31.
His reported spending slightly exceeded his contributions and loans, leaving him with effectively no cash on hand at the end of July.
Varnadore’s campaign highlights his roots as a lifelong, multigenerational Palmetto resident, as well as his association with the Republican Party.
He is Vice President of Marketing at GarrettRichard, a family business he co-founded with his father. Varnadore describes himself as an America First conservative, with a platform focused on parental rights, Second Amendment protections, law enforcement and small businesses. He supports reducing business regulations and giving parents greater say over what their children are taught.
Varnadore’s campaign has raised about $91,000 and spent more than $83,000 through July 31. His affiliated Protecting Manatee Values political committee has raised another $29,000 and spent nearly $10,000, bringing his campaign and committee to about $120,000 raised overall.
Varnadore has spent much of what he raised as the Primary approaches. His campaign and political committee have about $27,000 in cash remaining through July 31.
The Republican nominee will advance to a General Election against Democrat Ocean Fitts and no-party candidate Joseph Hoolihan.
Fitts is unopposed for the Democratic nomination and had raised just over $2,300 in contributions through July 31, along with about a $1,800 loan to her campaign. Hoolihan had reported no monetary contributions other than a $1,500 loan.
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