Glen Gibellina is a community activist running a grassroots campaign for Manatee County Commission against an incumbent who has consistently voted against the will of the community and in favor of the developers who fund his campaign. Unsurprisingly, he has found himself the victim of a well-funded and highly coordinated attack by dark-money PACs, pay-to-play media outlets, and hack consultants who lack the thinnest shred of integrity. Let’s take a closer look at the facts.
Twenty years ago, Gibellina, a Chicagoan and former saloon owner, was hitting rock bottom in his long struggle with alcoholism. He was in a bad marriage with a wife who was also a problem drinker. Together, they racked up an impressive number of calls for service and arrests via dueling allegations of domestic violence. Glen has never hidden from or kept secret his past. In fact, after choosing sobriety some 19 years ago, he has been almost evangelical in his support for others battling addiction, telling of his own troubled past and pathway to redemption as a source of inspiration for others fighting similar demons.
I’ve known Glen through his work as a political activist for the Manatee School Board, Manatee County Commission, and Bradenton City Council since 2011. I have heard him speak of his alcoholism and his continued commitment to working the program with the utmost humility. Today, he has an excellent relationship with his ex-wife and their daughter, both of whom support his campaign. His recovery has served as a beacon of hope in the local AA community, where he remains active. Gibellina’s is exactly the kind of story that should be celebrated. It speaks to his character, and to see him dragged through the mud in such a dishonest way speaks to the sort of politics the American people have clearly had more than enough of…