Election getting busy on Longboat

MELISSA REID
Associate Publisher
mreid@lbknews.com

While most people are focusing on the November Presidential election, the Longboat Key election is taking shape. In the upcoming March 19, 2013 Longboat Key election, three out of the four commission seats that will be vacated may be contested races.

In the District 4 seat is current Mayor Jim Brown who qualified for the March 2013 election on Friday, and Larry Grossman who is in the process of filing his paperwork to be qualified.

The At-Large commission seat that has one year remaining, and was vacated by former Commissioner Hal Lenobel and Terry Gans was appointed to, will have Commissioner Terry Gans (who has not yet qualified), Ray Rajewski and Joseph Iannello (both of whom have not yet qualified).

The other At-Large seat which is a full two-year term, is currently held by Commissioner Phill Younger who has qualified for the March election, and he could be up against former Commissioner Gene Jaleski who has taken out paperwork.

In the District 2 seat is current Commissioner Jack Duncan who has qualified for the election and is currently the only person who has taken out papers to run for the seat.

Ray Rajewski ran last year as well in the March 2012 election, and ran against Vice Mayor David Brenner. Brenner retained his seat on the Longboat Key Commission by narrowly beating Rajewski by 90 votes. In the election, Brenner advocated increasing Longboat Key’s tourism appeal to gain more visitors who would eventually by a condominium on the key. Rajewski meanwhile campaigned on not increasing tourism and maintaining Longboat Key’s residential qualities.

In the 2012 election, 38.75 percent of registered voters in Sarasota County turned out to cast their ballots, while 33.45 percent of registered voters in Manatee County voted.

The deadline to have all paperwork turned in to Town Hall and be qualified for the March 19 election is Nov. 19 at 12 noon.