Local Dark Money - Flipbook - Page 42
Take Back Our Government
Unseating Joe McClash
In 2012, another former Sarasota Republican
Party chairman, Bob Waechter led a political
action committee called Take Back Our
Government. Take Back Our Government
funded attack ads to unseat Republican
incumbent Manatee County Commissioner Joe
McClash. Challenger Betsy Benac’s prior
employment included a stint as Senior Project
Planner for Benderson Development. Benac
gathered 50.9% of the vote vs. McClash’s
49%, according to reporting hours after the
election. No recount was conducted.
Take Back Our Government received $34,000
from the Committee to Protect Florida’s
Seniors, and another $5,142 from Citizens
Have Rights in Sarasota, both administered by
Eric Robinson. Unlike most of Robinson’s
PACs, Citizens Have Rights in Sarasota is
registered with the Sarasota County Supervisor
