Longtime Manatee politico, entrepreneur to run for Sarasota City Commission

Michael Bennett, who has a long history in business, politics and civic involvement in the Sarasota-Manatee area, says he will run for a seat on the Sarasota City Commission.

A recently minted city resident after living some 30 years in Bradenton, Bennett, 79, saye he will seek an at-large seat on the five-member commission; those seats are currently held by Vice Mayor Debbie Trice and Jen Ahearn-Koch.

Bennett, a Republican, has a long history of state and local government representation. He represented District 67 in the Florida House from 2000 to 2002 and District 21 of the Florida Senate from 2002 to 2012, his last two years as president pro tempore of the senate.