Manatee County Commissioner Carol Felts Dies at 68
Manatee County Commissioner Carol Felts has died at 68. Multiple sources confirmed that Felts was found deceased in her yard on Tuesday. No additional details have been released.
Felts was widely known in Manatee County for her grassroots activism and advocacy on growth management and rural preservation. She first sought a seat on the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners in 2022, running in the Republican primary for the District 6 At-Large seat. In a three-way race against Jason Bearden and Carol Whitmore, Felts finished third, earning 13 percent of the vote in a countywide contest against two well-funded opponents.
In 2024, Felts mounted another campaign, this time in the District 1 Republican primary against Steve Metallo. Despite a significant fundraising disadvantage, she won the primary by just under 10 percentage points. She went on to secure 64 percent of the vote in the general election, defeating Democrat Glenn Pearson and NPA candidate Jennifer Hamey in a three-way race.
As both an activist and commissioner, Felts focused on rural preservation and infrastructure planning. She advocated for managing development so that roads, schools and emergency services could keep pace with growth. She supported maintaining a strict Land Development Code to limit rezoning and protect agricultural and environmentally sensitive lands.
Felts was particularly vocal about development in eastern Manatee County and opposed efforts to weaken the Future Development Area Boundary. In addition to her land-use priorities, she was known as an advocate for animal welfare and was an avid horse enthusiast.
Under Florida law, Ron DeSantis may appoint an interim commissioner to serve for the remainder of the term. Because more than 28 months remained in Felts’ term at the time of her death, the seat will also be placed on the ballot for the 2026 election.
