The Bradenton Times Podcast

Evelyn Almodóvar is Executive Director of UNIDOS Now, a local nonprofit whose mission is to improve the quality of life for the growing Hispanic/Latinx community through education, integration, and civic engagement. She joins TBT's Mitch Maley to discuss the challenges and fears facing our immigrant community caused by fear-mongering, ever-changing immigration statuses, ICE and DHS abuses, and political paralysis.

Lisa Gonzalez Moore represents Ward 4 on the Bradenton City Council and is seeking a second term in November. She joins Mitch and Dawn to discuss her first term accomplishments and a broad array of issues facing, including infrastructure needs and improvements, the relocation of City Hall, the prospect of enticing a Pittsburgh-based arts school to downtown Bradenton and more.

G.G. Miraglia is a former Verizon employee who volunteered to do critical work at the World Trade Center immediately following the 9/11 attacks. As we mark the 25th anniversary of those tragic events, G.G. joins Mitch Maley to discuss his experience, which inspired him to write My Days at Ground Zero, a book that highlights the wide array of volunteers who sacrificed their health to offer their skills in the immediate recovery.

Kelly Kirschner is the former Mayor of Sarasota and the Democratic candidate for the District 16 Congressional seat being vacated by Vern Buchanan. He faces Republican Sydney Gruters in November. Kelly joins Mitch and Dawn to discuss healthcare, immigration, affordability, AI data centers, and other issues central to the race.

Coming off her historic upset in the Democratic primary, Florida Rep. and U.S. Senate candidate Angie Nixon sits down with TBT Editor Mitch Maley to discuss her campaign and how she plans to defeat Ashley Moody in November.

Charles Smith is the Democratic candidate for the Manatee County Commission District 2 seat currently held by Amanda Ballard. Smith, who held the seat from 2014-18, sits down with Mitch and Dawn to discuss why he believes he will be victorious, despite the district being redrawn in 2020 to favor Republicans.

Mark Davis is an NPA candidate for the Congressional District 16 seat being vacated by Republican Vern Buchanan. He joins Mitch and Dawn to discuss his campaign and why he thinks Floridians are ready to vote for a candidate outside of the two-party system. You can learn more about his campaign at markdavisforcongress.com

This week, Mitch and Dawn review Tuesday's primary election results and their implications for November.

In the final episode before Tuesday's election, Mitch and Dawn discuss the upcoming primary, local attack ads, and why understanding the recent history of Manatee County government and its players matters.

Ed Pope is seeking the Republican nomination for Congressional District 16. He joins Mitch and Dawn to discuss his campaign and why he believes his common-sense approach to the issues is what voters are hungry for.

J.T. White is a candidate for Manatee County School Board District 2. He joins TBT's Mitch Maley to discuss improving grade-level-reading at Title 1 schools, what he sees as an overreliance on technology vendors, and why he feels he is the right person to represent the parents, teachers, and students in the district.

Melton Little is a Republican running for the Florida House D71 seat that is being vacated by Will Robinson. He joins TBT's Mitch Maley to talk about development-related preemption bills, protecting our beaches and waterways, property insurance reform, and more.

Cindy Spray is the District 2 incumbent for the Manatee County School Board. She joins Mitch and Dawn to discuss what she's learned during her first four-year term and her priorities for a second term, should she be reelected to the seat.

Dr. Sharon Jefferson is a candidate for the Manatee County School Board in District 2. A 27-year veteran educator in the district, she joins Mitch and Dawn to discuss why she decided to run and what she hopes to accomplish if elected.

Cam Bedinghaus is a candidate for the Manatee County School Board District 5 seat. He joins Mitch and Dawn to discuss his platform, why he decided to run for the board, and which issues he would be most excited to work on if elected.

Liz Arnold is a candidate in the Manatee County Commission Republican primary for District 1. She joins Mitch and Dawn to discuss her platform and various issues facing the county.

Leland Taylor is a candidate in the Manatee County Commission District 1 Republican primary. He joins Mitch & Dawn to discuss sustainable development, environmental and infrastructure challenges, and other issues facing the district. You can learn more about Leland's campaign at https://www.lelandformanatee.com/

Republican Congressional candidate Eddie Speir joins TBT's Mitch Maley to discuss his grassroots campaign for the Congressional District 16 seat being vacated by Vern Buchanan, as well as various issues relevant to the race, such as the Iran War, AI data centers, and more. Speir managed to get nearly 40% of the vote in his 2024 primary challenge of Buchanan and hopes to secure the party's nomination in August.

Mark Stanoch is a candidate for the Manatee County Commission District 1 seat in the Republican primary. Mark joins TBT editor Mitch Maley for a discussion on issues facing the county, including a lack of jobs that pay enough to live in the community and how the county might attract higher-paying employers. You can learn more about Mark's campaign at votemarkstanoch.com

John Dunn is running for the Republican nomination for Manatee County Commission District 1 in this year's primary. He joins TBT's Mitch Maley and Dawn Kitterman for a wide-ranging discussion on the issues currently facing our community and why he feels he's well-suited to representing the district. You can learn more about John's campaign at votedunn.com

Tara Poulton is a Republican candidate for Manatee County Commission District 6. She sits down with Mitch and Dawn to discuss her campaign and issues central to the race.

Mike Harrison is a candidate for the Manatee County Commission D1 seat, which was vacated with the passing of Carol Felts. He joins TBT Editor in Chief Mitch Maley for a broad-ranging conversation on issues facing the county and why he wants to represent his community on the BOCC.

This week, John Calovich joins Mitch and Dawn to discuss his campaign for the Manatee County Commission District 6 Republican nomination in this year's primary election.

Manatee County D2 Commissioner Amanda Ballard, who is seeking a second term in this year's election, joins Mitch and Dawn to discuss her first four years in office and what she hopes to accomplish if reelected.

Anthony Drake is a senior pastor at Vision Church FL. He is running for the Republican nomination for the Manatee County Commission D1 seat on the August primary ballot. He joins Mitch and Dawn for a conversation on why he decided to enter politics and what he would hope to accomplish as a commissioner.

Ed Ference is a candidate in the Manatee County Commission District 6 Republican primary. For 30 years, Ed worked for Manatee County and discusses how his extensive experience informed his positions as well as his decision to run for office.

This week, Mitch and Dawn discuss federal and state efforts to restrict voter rights, multiple DC Scandals, President Trump's rumored plan to announce a departure from NATO during this evening's address, and more.

John "Captain" Phillips is a recently-retired Coast Guard CWO4 with more than three decades of service. He is challenging Rep. Bill Conerly in the Republican primary for the Florida House of Representatives District 72 seat, representing much of Manatee County. He joins Mitch and Dawn to discuss his grassroots campaign and the need for smart, sustainable growth policies that protect rural Florida.

This week, Tony Barrett, a candidate in the Republican primary for the Manatee County Commission District 6 at-large seat, joins Mitch & Dawn for a broad-ranging discussion on issues facing our community, including overdevelopment, infrastructure, environmental concerns, public safety, and how his time as a first responder and then real estate broker informs his positions.

Glenn Gibellina is challenging incumbent District 4 Manatee County Commissioner Mike Rahn in this year's Republican primary. Glenn joins TBT Editor in Chief Mitch Maley to share his thoughts about how our local government can become more responsive to the will of its community.

Manatee County Commission District 2 candidate Ed Bailey joins TBT's Mitch Maley and Dawn Kitterman to discuss his campaign, why he wants to serve on the board, and what issues he's most passionate about addressing.

This week, Mitch and Dawn discuss the passing of Manatee County Commissioner Carol Ann Felts, the upcoming elections, Senator Jim Boyd's amendment regarding a cruise terminal, and the President's State of the Union address.

Nathan J. Robinson is a graduate of Sarasota's Pineview School and editor and political columnist for Current Affairs magazine. His work has been featured in such publications as The Guardian, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Republic, The Nation, Al Jazeera America, and Salon. Nathan will be the featured speaker at WLSR's Rooted in Community event on February 28, the station's annual night in support of independent, nonprofit media. He joins TBT's Mitch Maley for a conversation on modern media, economic inequality, and issues facing the Democratic opposition as the party heads into the midterms.

You can learn more about Jon and his campaign at jonharrisforcongress.com

Mitch and Dawn discuss the evolving field of candidates for the Manatee County Commission, Manatee School Board, the District 71 and 72 Florida House races, and the District 16 Congressional seat.

Manatee County Commission Chair Tal Siddique joins TBT's Mitch Maley to discuss local issues, including preemption efforts by the state legislature, the effort to change the structure of Seaport Manatee, a proposed cruise ship hub nearby, development/infrastructure challenges, and pushback from animal activists on the pre-fab kennels the cunty is using at Bishop Animal Shelter.

Seeking Rents, the SubStack focused on state-level politics in Florida, which is mentioned in the show, can be found at https://jasongarcia.substack.com/.

Link to the shooting analysis referenced by Mitch. https://youtu.be/rn9M39A0_BQ?si=D4YvTpsh1sKB-gEw

Learn more about Jan's campaign at https://votejan.com/

This week, Mitch and Dawn discuss the BOCC boat ramp vote, Congressmen Buchanan and Steube's votes on a bill to further reduce wetland and hazardous discharge protections, the Susie Wiles interview, and much, much more!

This week, Mitch discusses Democrats flipping the mayoral race in Miami for the first time in three decades, President Trump's wild week, the flip-flop on releasing the second strike videos of a boat in Venezuela, the potential mergers for Warner Bros., and more.

Back after a week off for the holiday, Mitch & Dawn discuss the Manatee County Commission's vote for a new chairperson, and Mitch's column on what is really driving the push for war in Venezuela.

Glenn Pearson is a Democrat running for the District 16 House seat currently held by Vern Buchanan. Glenn joins TBT's Mitch Maley to discuss why he's running and what he thinks Democrats must do to meet the current moment in American politics.

Mitch and Dawn discuss a book on how social media is changing childhood development, the Manatee County Commission's recent denial of a dubious development ploy, Dems caving on the shutdown, and much more!

This week, Mitch and Dawn discuss the new high school approved for Lakewood Ranch, Tuesday's election results, massive layoffs, President Trump's 60-minute interview, and his pardon of a crypto exec, who recently enriched his family's exchange.

This week, Mitch and Dawn discuss the proposal to change port oversight, citizens pleading with state legislators to reverse SB 180, the SOE audit, ICE hiring faux pas, and dueling efforts to "protect" the upcoming elections.

Manatee County School Board Member Heather Felton joins TBT Editor Mitch Maley to discuss the Schools of Hope fiasco, our overemphasis on standardized testing, as well as what the school district is getting right for families, students, and the community.

This week, Mitch and Dawn discuss a blogger's claim that Joe and Mitch are "breaking up the coalition" in local politics by being critical of the Trump administration, Florida's push to lower the age to purchase firearms, the upcoming "No Kings" protests, and much more.

This week, Mitch and Dawn discuss the Manatee County Commission's proposal to name a roadway after conservative podcaster and political organizer Charlie Kirk, local crackdowns on illegal casinos, the new editor at CBS News, President Trump's politically charged speech to Navy soldiers, and much more.