MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — The District 1 seat on the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners is vacant following the death of Carol Ann Felts on Feb. 24, 2026.
Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order Friday formally declaring the vacancy, citing provisions in the Florida Constitution and state law that require such action after the death of a sitting public officer.
DeSantis said he will appoint a replacement in accordance with state law.
Father of deputy killed in murder-suicide and abuse survivor unite to fight officer-perpetrated violence
Four years after Hillsborough County Sheriff's Deputy Abigail Bieber was shot and killed by her boyfriend, Daniel Leyden — a fellow law enforcement officer — her father, Bruce Bieber, and a woman who survived abuse at the hands of the same man, Chynna Ratner, are now working together to prevent officer-perpetrated domestic violence.
