Sarasota County will designate a portion of Fruitville Road as the “Charlie Kirk Memorial Road” to honor the slain conservative influencer.
The county board unanimously approved the motion at its Wednesday meeting after a proposal by Commissioner Teresa Mast.
“This individual has – had – his family still has a residence in Sarasota County,” Mast said. “I’d like this county to continue to show the respect for what his life stood for and what it will continue to stand for.”
Sarasota County spokesperson Deb Cooney said in an email there is no timeline for when the road will be officially renamed.
“It will come back to the Board at a date to be determined for their approval of a resolution seeking state action,” Cooney said.
Why is Charlie Kirk being honored in Sarasota?
Kirk was assassinated in September during an appearance at Utah Valley University. The conservative content creator had for years built up his digital brand as a far-right provocateur and influencer within the Trump administration, regularly causing a stir by debating students at college campuses.
The move by Mast follows a flurry of activity by Florida politicians to cement Kirk’s legacy. The Manatee County Commission approved a similar measure at its Tuesday meeting, designating an unbuilt portion of 51st Street in Bradenton as “Charlie Kirk Memorial Road.”
State Rep. Kevin Steele, R–Dade City, filed a bill to the Florida House on Tuesday to withhold funding from public universities and colleges if they did not rename a campus roadway to honor the slain podcaster.
Kirk’s murder spurred the Trump administration to go after its political enemies. The president designated “antifa,” the loose collection of leftist activists whose influence peaked several years ago, as a terrorist organization, although Kirk’s alleged shooter has not yet been directly linked to the network.
Employees of Sarasota County Schools were also investigated for allegedly making disparaging comments about Kirk after his death.
Christian Casale covers local government for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Email him at ccasale@gannett.com or christiancasale@protonmail.com
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota County renaming part of major road for Charlie Kirk, slain conservative influencer
Reporting by Christian Casale, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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