As we navigate the housing and development landscape of 2026, it is clear that the battles of 2024 were not the finish line—they were just the opening salvo. Two years ago, our community stood together under the “Anti-Builder” banner, a movement born out of sheer necessity to protect our neighborhoods from reckless, profit-driven overdevelopment.
Unfortunately, two candidates who benefited from that movement have flipped and continue the urban sprawl. Today, the pressure from mega-developers hasn’t waned; it has simply evolved with their help. If we want to preserve the character, build infrastructure, and restore the environment and natural beauty of Manatee County, we must renew our pledges to this campaign with fresh urgency.
In 2024, our message was clear: community before builder, special interest profit. We successfully put local government on notice, voted out the builder puppets, and demanded transparency while halting several egregious zoning exemptions that would have overwhelmed our neighborhoods and gridlocked our roads…