Sarasota County’s District 2 commission seat will be decided in a rare universal primary on Aug. 18, after a would-be Democrat filed but then pulled out of the race at the June 12 qualifying deadline.
Robert Miller’s decision to withdraw means that incumbent Republican Mark Smith will face fellow Republican Kristina Sargent in a universal primary for one of two county commission seats on the 2024 ballot.
County Commission District 4 incumbent Joe Neunder faces a challenge from retired Sarasota Police Sgt. Jim DeNiro in the Republican primary, with Democrat Julie London set to take on the winner in November.
Sarasota City Commission
Five candidates are vying for two open at-large seats on the Sarasota City Commission: incumbent Jen Ahearn-Koch, Flo Entler, John Harshman, Yevgeny Khodorkovsky and Rob Rominecki.
City voters will pick their two top choices in August.
Then, the top three candidates will have their names placed on the November ballot.
North Port City Commission
In North Port Commission District 4, Elaine Allen-Emrich is seeking to succeed her husband, Pete Emrich, against Lyudmila Dunchyk.
In North Port Commission District 5, incumbent Phil Stokes will seek a second term against Oleg Lisitsyn.
Venice City Council
Five seats are up for grabs on the seven-member Venice City Council, with qualifying week set for Aug. 10-14.
The large number of vacancies can be attributed to a November 2024 referendum in which city voters decided to do away with three-year terms in favor of four-year terms.
So far, three incumbents, Lloyd Weed in Seat 1, Rick Howard in Seat 5 and Rachel Frank in Seat 6 have filed for office.
In Seat 2, Christopher Derbak, Jenny Heussner and Susan A. Perry have all filed for office.
Seat 4 incumbent Jim Boldt has filed to run for mayor, which is technically Seat 7.
Should Boldt become mayor, the Seat 4 vacancy would be filled by a vote among sitting city council members.
Of note, Seat 2 incumbent Ron Smith has not yet filed for office.
Here is a rundown of the remaining countywide races.
County Judge
Incumbent Group 4 County Judge Shannon Geneva Hankin is unopposed.
Sarasota County School Board
In this nonpartisan race typically settled in the Aug. 18 primary, three candidates, Heidi Brandt, Teresa Ann DeWitt and Jimmy Glover all qualified for District 1.
Frank Dicicco and Megan Tennimon are vying against each other for the District 4 seat.
Beth Mayberry and Michelle Pozzie are squaring off for the District 5 seat.
Sarasota County Charter Review Board
The Charter Review Board consists of 10 seats that typically serve staggered four-year terms.
In District 1, three Republicans, Nicholas Altier, Alexandra Coe and William D. VanAllen, Jr. will all be on the ballot for one seat.
In District 2, Republican G. Matthew Brockway is unopposed for the four-year seat. Republican Jordan Keller is unopposed to fill out the last two years of the other seat.
In District 3, Republicans Arthur Adams and Ali Hopper will face each other in the primary, with Democrat Jim Tate waiting to face the winner of that race in November.
In District 4, Republican Taylor Collins and Democrat Robin F. Williams will oppose each other in November.
In District 5, Republicans Erin Halstead and Andrew Sias will face each other in the primary, with Democrat Andrea Doria Kale waiting to face the winner of that race in November.
Sarasota County Hospital Board
In the Hospital Board race, which is typically decided in the Aug. 18 primary, Central District Seat 2 incumbent Republican Bridgette L. Fiorucci is unopposed.
Northern District Seat 1 features a race pitting incumbent Republican Brad Baker against fellow Republican Bill Woeltjen.
Northern District Seat 2 features a battle between Republicans Tara Butler and Kenneth Evans.
For Southern District Seat 1, Southern District Seat 1 incumbent Republican Patricia Maraia is unopposed.
In Southern District Seat 2, Republican Tracy Knight is unopposed.
Key election dates
The date to register for the Aug. 18 primary or change parties is July 2.
Requests for a vote-by-mail ballot must be submitted by 5 p.m. Aug. 6.
Those queries can be made in person, by phone, online at sarasotavotes.gov or by mail after downloading a form from the website.
Early voting for the primary begins Aug. 8 and runs through Aug. 16, with polls open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections office is actively seeking poll workers, especially for the primary.
“The August primary is always challenging,” said Paul Donnelly, the spokesman for the supervisor of elections office. “There’s a lot of snowbirds here in November and they’re happy to work with us.
“We’re getting close to hitting the target but we can always use more.”
Earle Kimel primarily covers local governments in Sarasota County as well as land development and environmental issues for the Herald-Tribune. Follow him on Facebook, and X. He can be reached by email at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota County District 2 seat to be decided in August vote
Reporting by Earle Kimel, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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By Earle Kimel, Sarasota Herald-Tribune | USA TODAY Network
