Sarasota County Primary Election Results 2026: Key Winners, School Board Upset and November Runoffs

Sarasota County voters went to the polls on August 18 for Florida’s 2026 primary election, with 107,478 ballots counted across all 98 precincts and countywide turnout at 32.69%. Several closely watched local races produced decisive results, while the Sarasota City Commission and School Board contests set up important battles for November.

The most notable result came in the Sarasota County School Board, where former teachers Jimmy Glover and Heidi Brandt advanced to a runoff in District 1, while Megan Tennimon and Beth Mayberry won outright in Districts 4 and 5. Two candidates backed by Democrats also won school-board races, shifting the political balance of the board.

Sarasota County Primary Election Results 2026

SARASOTA, Florida: Sarasota County’s 2026 primary election produced a series of important local victories, competitive Republican contests and significant changes to the county’s political landscape as voters selected candidates for local and state offices.

The primary was held Tuesday, August 18, with the general election scheduled for November 3, 2026. By 10:30 p.m., all 98 of Sarasota County’s precincts had reported, with 107,478 ballots counted and an overall voter turnout of 32.69%.

The results included contests for Sarasota City Commission, Sarasota County Commission, the School Board, Charter Review Board, Hospital Board and state legislative seats.

Some races were settled outright in the primary, while others will continue into the November general election.

Sarasota City Commission Results

One of the closely watched local contests was the Sarasota City Commission election, where voters were choosing candidates for two seats.

Under the election rules, the top three candidates advance to the November 3 general election.

The results were:

• Jen Ahearn-Koch: 6,069 votes — 34.27%
• Flo Entler: 5,153 votes — 29.10%
• John Harshman: 3,203 votes — 18.09%
• Rob Rominiecki: 2,690 votes — 15.19%
• Yevgeny Khodorkovsky: 594 votes — 3.35%

Ahearn-Koch finished first, followed by Entler and Harshman, putting all three into the November contest.

The result means Sarasota voters will return to the polls in November to determine the final composition of the commission.

The race attracted attention because city government decisions can have a direct impact on development, housing, infrastructure, public safety and the future direction of Sarasota.

With three candidates advancing for two seats, the November contest is likely to remain competitive.

Sarasota County Commission District 2

The Republican primary for Sarasota County Commission District 2 was decided on Tuesday.

Mark Smith defeated Kristina Sargent, receiving 8,412 votes, or 53.32%, compared with Sargent’s 7,363 votes, or 46.68%.

Because the primary effectively determined the winner, Smith takes office.

The contest was relatively close, with Smith winning by just over six percentage points.

The outcome was particularly notable because Smith was reported as the only incumbent to survive the County Commission primary contests.

His victory provides continuity for District 2 while other parts of the county commission face changes.

County Commission District 4

The Republican contest in District 4 was another competitive race.

Jim DeNiro defeated Joe Neunder, winning 6,627 votes, or 53.20%, against Neunder’s 5,829 votes, or 46.80%.

DeNiro will now face Democrat Julie London in the November 3 general election.

Unlike District 2, therefore, the District 4 contest is not finished.

The Republican primary effectively determined the GOP nominee, but voters across the district will have a choice between DeNiro and London in November.

Sarasota School Board Produces Major Political Change

The Sarasota County School Board elections produced some of the most politically significant results of the night.

The board had been dominated by conservative members since the 2022 election. Two former teachers won races Tuesday, potentially changing the political balance.

The results were especially important because school boards in Florida have become increasingly prominent political institutions.

Issues including curriculum, parental rights, school policies, teacher recruitment, student services and educational standards have turned local school-board elections into closely watched political contests.

District 1 Heads to Runoff

The District 1 School Board race did not produce an outright winner.

Jimmy Glover finished first with 43,772 votes, or 43.53%.

Heidi Brandt placed second with 31,898 votes, or 31.72%.

Teresa DeWitt finished third with 24,895 votes, or 24.76%.

Because no candidate secured the required majority, Glover and Brandt will advance to a runoff.

The runoff will determine who ultimately takes the District 1 seat.

Glover’s first-place finish gives him an advantage heading into the next stage, but Brandt remains a strong contender after securing more than 31% of the primary vote.

DeWitt’s elimination means her supporters could become an important voting bloc in the runoff.

Megan Tennimon Wins School Board District 4

The District 4 contest was decided outright.

Megan Tennimon defeated Frank DiCicco, receiving 55,011 votes, or 55.11%, compared with DiCicco’s 44,805 votes, or 44.89%.

Because Tennimon secured the required majority, she wins the seat without needing a November runoff.

Her victory represents another change for the Sarasota school board.

The result is likely to receive attention because of the broader shift occurring within the board following Tuesday’s elections.

Beth Mayberry Wins District 5

Beth Mayberry also won her School Board race outright.

Mayberry received 56,465 votes, or 56.63%, while Michelle Pozzie received 43,236 votes, or 43.37%.

Mayberry’s margin was more than 13 percentage points.

Her victory means voters in District 5 will not need to return to the polls for that particular school-board contest in November.

Together with the results in Districts 1 and 4, the election produced substantial turnover within the Sarasota County School Board.

Why the School Board Results Matter

The Sarasota school-board results are important beyond the individual candidates because they could change the ideological balance of the board.

The board has been controlled by conservatives since 2022, according to WUSF.

The election of former teachers and candidates backed by Democratic organizations could therefore represent a shift in the board’s priorities.

However, the final balance will depend on the District 1 runoff and the political alliances formed after the election.

School-board politics in Florida have become increasingly nationalized.

Local contests can now attract endorsements, campaign spending and political organizations from outside the immediate community.

That trend was visible in Sarasota, where education policy became part of the broader political debate.

Charter Review Board Results

The primary also decided several seats on the Sarasota County Charter Review Board.

In District 1, Alexandra Coe won with 41,951 votes, or 49.61%.

Nicholas Altier received 21,495 votes, or 25.42%, while Bill Van Allen received 21,109 votes, or 24.96%.

Coe therefore won the seat.

District 3

In District 3, Chip Adams defeated Ali Hopper.

Adams received 28,235 votes, or 59.58%, while Hopper received 19,157 votes, or 40.42%.

Adams will face Democrat Jim Tate in the November general election.

District 5

The District 5 Republican primary was won by Erin Halstead.

Halstead received 24,201 votes, or 51.40%, narrowly defeating Andrew F. Sias, who received 22,886 votes, or 48.60%.

Halstead will face Democrat Andrea Doria Kale in November.

The relatively narrow Republican margins in some of these contests indicate that the November races could remain competitive.

Hospital Board Race

The Northern District Seat 1 race for the Sarasota County Public Hospital District Board was decided in the primary.

Brad Baker won decisively, receiving 54,625 votes, or 62.77%.

His opponent, Bill Woeltjen, received 32,396 votes, or 37.23%.

Baker’s margin was substantial, giving him a clear victory.

Hospital-board elections can be particularly significant because local health systems oversee major healthcare infrastructure, budgets and community services.

Florida Senate District 22

The Republican primary for Florida Senate District 22 produced a decisive result.

James Buchanan dominated the contest with 50,770 votes, or 77.89%.

Vic Rohe received 14,415 votes, or 22.11%.

Buchanan now advances to the November general election, where he will face Martin Hyde, running with no party affiliation, and Lew Wasserman, the Democratic candidate.

The three-way November contest will therefore give voters a broader choice than the Republican primary.

Florida House District 74

The Republican primary in Florida House District 74 was more fragmented.

Nick Pachota finished first with 7,971 votes, or 34.70%.

Kelly Ann Walker came second with 6,724 votes, or 29.27%.

Jennifer Peeples Winkler received 6,183 votes, or 26.92%.

Les Nichols received 2,092 votes, or 9.11%.

Pachota emerged as the Republican nominee and will face Democrat Ryan Neill in the November general election.

The primary illustrates how a multi-candidate contest can produce a nominee without requiring a majority of the vote.

Sarasota’s 32.69% Turnout

The county recorded an overall voter turnout of 32.69%, with 107,478 ballots counted across 98 precincts.

Primary elections generally attract fewer voters than presidential or general elections, but turnout remains politically significant because a relatively small electorate can determine which candidates advance.

In local races, turnout can be especially important because voters who are highly engaged with issues such as schools, development, taxes or local government may participate at higher rates than the broader electorate.

The November general election will provide a larger test of the candidates’ appeal.

Florida Primary Sets Stage for November

The Sarasota results form part of a much larger statewide political story.

Florida’s August 18 primary determined nominees for major statewide offices, congressional seats and local contests.

At the statewide level, Republican Rep. Byron Donalds won the GOP nomination for governor, while former Republican congressman David Jolly won the Democratic nomination. They will face each other in November to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is unable to seek another term.

The U.S. Senate primary also produced significant results, with Republican incumbent Ashley Moody and Democrat Angie Nixon advancing from their respective contests.

These statewide races will shape the political environment in which Sarasota’s local candidates campaign during the final months before the November election.

Sarasota Could See Another Competitive November

Several Sarasota races remain unresolved following the primary.

The City Commission race will feature Ahearn-Koch, Entler and Harshman competing for two seats.

County Commission District 4 will pit DeNiro against London.

The School Board District 1 race will be decided through a runoff between Glover and Brandt.

Charter Review Board Districts 3 and 5 will also feature November contests.

Florida Senate District 22 and Florida House District 74 will have competitive general-election races.

This means Sarasota voters will have several reasons to return to the polls on November 3.

Political Significance of the Results

The primary results reveal several broader trends.

First, local elections remain highly competitive even in a county where Republican candidates performed strongly in several partisan races.

Second, school-board politics continue to be a major area of political contestation.

Third, some incumbent officeholders faced significant challenges, with Smith reportedly the only incumbent County Commission member to survive the primary.

Fourth, several races were decided by relatively narrow margins, meaning that November turnout and voter mobilization could dramatically affect the final outcome.

The primary therefore provides only part of the picture.

The 2026 Sarasota County primary election produced a combination of decisive victories, close Republican contests and significant changes to local political leadership.

With all 98 precincts reporting, 107,478 ballots were counted and voter turnout stood at 32.69%.

Among the biggest developments, Mark Smith won Sarasota County Commission District 2, while Jim DeNiro secured the Republican nomination in District 4 and will face Democrat Julie London in November.

The Sarasota City Commission contest also moved forward with Jen Ahearn-Koch, Flo Entler and John Harshman advancing to compete for two seats.

But the most politically consequential results may have come from the School Board.

Jimmy Glover and Heidi Brandt advanced to a runoff in District 1, while Megan Tennimon and Beth Mayberry won their respective races outright. The results could alter the ideological balance of a board that has been dominated by conservatives since 2022.

The primary has therefore set up a busy November election in Sarasota County.

The remaining contests will determine not only individual officeholders but also the direction of local government, education policy and community priorities for the coming years.

Insight:The Sarasota County primary is notable because the results show that local politics can shift even when the broader partisan environment remains relatively stable. The school-board results are particularly important: two former teachers advanced or won, and the conservative majority that has dominated the board since 2022 now faces a serious challenge. At the same time, several Republican candidates won strongly in county and state-level contests, demonstrating that Sarasota remains politically competitive but structurally favorable to Republicans in many partisan races. The November election will therefore be more consequential than the primary alone suggests. The District 1 school-board runoff, the three-way Sarasota City Commission race and the contests involving Julie London, Jim DeNiro and other candidates could determine whether Tuesday’s apparent political shifts become a lasting realignment or remain isolated victories. The broader Florida results also indicate that the November election will take place against a highly charged statewide political backdrop, making turnout and voter mobilization crucial.