SUN PHOTO/CINDY LANE Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston congratulates Carol Whitmore after she learns that she had won the Republican primary for the Manatee County Commission.District Six seat.

By Tom Vaught
sun staff writer

Holmes Beach Mayor Carol Whitmore has passed the first test of her quest for the Manatee County Commission District 6 seat by beating three opponents in the primary race.

With 136 of 137 precincts reporting Tuesday night, Whitmore had 10,921 votes for 47 percent of the vote against 7,279 votes for 32 percent of the total for Frank Brunner. Craig Trigueiro had 3,849 votes for 17 percent and Stella Burnett had 970 votes for 4 percent.

Whitmore was restless Tuesday night at the Twin Dolphin Marina in Bradenton as she waited for election results with Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston, Manatee County Commissioner Pat Glass, Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Don Schroder and several dozen family and friends.

Sporting a pink blouse with a peek-a-boo flower cutout in the back, she circled the room, keeping one eye on the television sets.

When Pat Glass talks, people listen. Glasses stopped clinking, conversation screeched to a halt, and Glass announced the first report that Whitmore was leading her nearest opponent, Frank Brunner, with 8,550 votes to his 5,388.

"That’s all?" Whitmore asked, referring to the small number of voters who went to the polls on Tuesday. Then, as she was congratulated by those who believed that she had locked up the race, reality sank in, and she started to beam.

Whitmore will face Democrat Sarah Meaker in the Nov. 7 election for the seat, which was previously held by Glass, who decided not to run for re-election. After the news of her victory sunk in, Whitmore expressed gratitude.

"I'm very happy," she said. "I'm totally overwhelmed at all the support that I got. I worked hard, I did a good campaign and raised enough money that most people would have taken six months to raise.

"I had a lot of grass roots support," she added. "I just want to thank everybody for all that they did. I got so much support. I worked so hard all these years in politics."

Whitmore, 51, who grew up on Anna Maria Island, was first elected to the Holmes Beach City Council in 1991. She successfully ran for mayor of Holmes Beach in 1998. She was acclaimed as being instrumental in getting a trolley system on the Island. She also spearheaded the city’s construction of the skate park, located south of city hall.