August 18 primary result: Jim DeNiro defeated incumbent Joe Neunder in the Republican primary, 53.2 to 46.8 percent, per Suncoast Searchlight, and meets Democrat Julie London on the November 3 ballot.
Jim DeNiro (Republican)
Jim DeNiro is a retired Sarasota Police sergeant with a 30-year career spanning investigations, narcotics and marine units; he served on the county's Environmentally Sensitive Lands Oversight Committee, per his campaign site.
Priorities: Keep property taxes low and housing affordable, especially for seniors and working families · Fully fund law enforcement and first responders · Restore fiscal discipline and eliminate waste (per the campaign site)
Raised $81,555 · per Supervisor of Elections filings
Julie London (Democratic)
Julie London writes the widely followed Dear Bubbie newsletter on Sarasota school and local-government politics; a first-time candidate, she pledges to be a watchdog on the commission, per WSLR News. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 6, 2026.
Priorities: Refuse all PAC money and scrutinize conflicts of interest before votes · Fight overdevelopment and AI data centers · Resist Live Local Act preemptions of local zoning (per the WSLR News interview)
Raised $10,540 · per Supervisor of Elections filings
Heidi Brandt and Jimmy Glover are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Sarasota County School Board District 1.
August 18 result: Jimmy Glover (about 45 percent) and Heidi Brandt (31.7 percent) advance to a November 3 runoff for the open seat, per WSLR News.
Heidi Brandt
Heidi Brandt is a Southside Elementary PTO president and parent of a district student, from a family of educators; she would expand volunteer literacy programs like Reading Partners, per her campaign site and Suncoast Searchlight.
Priorities: Empower parents · Ensure school safety and invest in high-quality teachers · Enhance workforce training so students thrive beyond the classroom (per the campaign site)
Raised $58,696 · per Supervisor of Elections filings
Jimmy Glover
Jimmy Glover chairs the board of Star Lab, a private Montessori-style K-3 school, and raised his children in Sarasota public schools; he is focused on college and career readiness and student mentorship, per Suncoast Searchlight.
Priorities: Championing early literacy · Career readiness with apprenticeships · Mental health, school safety, and teacher pay
Raised $118,356 · per Supervisor of Elections filings
August 18 primary result: Chip Adams won the Republican primary with 28,536 votes (59.47 percent) to Ali Hopper's 19,448 (40.53 percent), per the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections' official results, and meets Democrat Jim Tate on the November 3 ballot.
Chip Adams (Republican)
Chip Adams is a retired firefighter and paramedic with 34 years of career service, including 17 years as a shift commander and Battalion Chief, per his campaign site. A Sarasota County resident since 2020, he has served as an IAFF Local union vice president and president and as Firefighters' Pension Board president, per his campaign site.
Priorities: The Charter deserves a board that serves to protect it, per the campaign site · Consistent representation of constituents on the board, per Your Observer questionnaire · Judicious decision making that listens to residents and board counsel, per Your Observer questionnaire
Raised $5,063 · per Supervisor of Elections filings
Jim Tate (Democratic)
Jim Tate appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Sarasota County Charter Review Board District 3, per the Supervisor of Elections' official qualified-candidate list. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 3, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Jim Tate.
This race was not on the August 18 primary ballot: with one Republican and one Democrat there was no primary, and Taylor Collins and Robin Williams meet on the November 3 general ballot.
Taylor T. Collins (Republican)
Taylor Collins is a Sarasota business owner with a professional background in benefits and risk management, per her campaign site. She grew up in Sarasota and lives there with her husband, Stevan, per her campaign site. Taylor T. Collins appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Sarasota County Charter Review Board District 4, per the Supervisor of Elections' official qualified-candidate list.
Priorities: A strong local government begins with a clear, well-structured Charter · Sound frameworks, long-term thinking, and accountability on the board · Protecting government integrity while ensuring transparency, efficiency, and responsiveness (per the campaign site)
Raised $7,266 · per Supervisor of Elections filings
Robin Williams (Democratic)
Robin Williams is a school board activist who also ran for this Charter Review Board seat in 2024, calling for re-empowering citizens to more easily amend the county charter, per WSLR News. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 6, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Robin Williams.
Raised $2,625 · per Supervisor of Elections filings
August 18 primary result: Erin Halstead won the Republican primary 51.4 to 48.6 percent over Andrew Sias, per Your Observer, and meets Democrat Andrea Doria Kale on the November 3 ballot.
Erin Halstead (Republican)
Erin Halstead is a realtor and local business owner of more than 25 years who has served as president of the Englewood Area Chamber of Commerce, president of the Englewood Area Board of Realtors, and president of the Englewood Area Cancer Foundation, per the Your Observer. She has lived in the Englewood area most of her life and exclusively in Sarasota County since 2005, per the Your Observer. Erin Halstead appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Sarasota County Charter Review Board District 5, per the Supervisor of Elections' official qualified-candidate list. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 3, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Erin Halstead.
Priorities: Listen to public input and attend all meetings to provide thoughtful review · Public input should always be the priority, supporting voter-initiated ideas over proactive board changes (per the Your Observer questionnaire)
Raised $1,070 · per Supervisor of Elections filings
Andrea Doria Kale (Democratic)
Andrea Doria Kale spent 37 years as a researcher and IT director at a nonprofit that studied the effects of substance and alcohol abuse, per her campaign website. She lives in North Port, per Sarasota County campaign finance filings. Andrea Doria Kale appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Sarasota County Charter Review Board District 5, per the Supervisor of Elections' official qualified-candidate list. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 3, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Andrea Doria Kale.
James Buchanan (Republican), Martin Hyde (No Party Affiliation), Lew Wasserman (Democratic) are on the November 3 ballot for Florida Senate District 22. Not on the November ballot: Joe Gruters, the sitting member per the roster. Major-party nominees were chosen at the August 18 primary or advanced unopposed; minor-party and no-party-affiliation candidates qualify directly for the November ballot. The field is the Florida Division of Elections' certified 2026 General Election candidate list. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
James Buchanan (Republican)
James Buchanan is a two-term member of the Florida House of Representatives from District 74, running for Florida Senate District 22 to succeed term-limited Sen. Joe Gruters, according to Florida Politics. He has been endorsed by the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Senate Republican leadership. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 11, 2026.
Martin Hyde (No Party Affiliation)
Martin Hyde is an independent candidate running to succeed Sen. Joe Gruters in Florida Senate District 22. A Sarasota resident of 27 years born in the United Kingdom, he brings nearly 40 years of business experience, per his campaign site.
Priorities: Local representation independent of party and developer influence · Direct constituent engagement through town halls and meet-and-greets (per the campaign site)
Lew Wasserman (Democratic)
Lew Wasserman is the Democratic candidate for Florida Senate District 22, covering all of Sarasota County and southern Manatee County, an open seat left by retiring Sen. Joe Gruters. He previously had a career in the entertainment industry, per WMNF. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 11, 2026.
Lisa Klein (Democratic), Fiona McFarland (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Florida House District 73; Fiona McFarland is the sitting member, per the Florida House of Representatives' official roster. Major-party nominees were chosen at the August 18 primary or advanced unopposed; minor-party and no-party-affiliation candidates qualify directly for the November ballot. The field is the Florida Division of Elections' certified 2026 General Election candidate list. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Lisa Klein (Democratic)
Lisa Klein is a licensed mental health counselor who operates a private practice in Sarasota and previously worked as an educator. She is the Democratic candidate for Florida House District 73, challenging Republican Rep. Fiona McFarland, according to her campaign site and Florida Politics.
Priorities: Access to mental healthcare · Affordability · Public education (per the campaign site)
Fiona McFarland (Republican)Incumbent
Fiona McFarland is a former business management consultant who earned a political science degree from the United States Naval Academy and an MBA from the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School, according to the Florida House's official member page, which also notes her Navy service and commendation medals. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 11, 2026.
Ryan Neill (Democratic), Nick Pachota (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Florida House District 74. Not on the November ballot: James Buchanan, the sitting member per the roster. Major-party nominees were chosen at the August 18 primary or advanced unopposed; minor-party and no-party-affiliation candidates qualify directly for the November ballot. The field is the Florida Division of Elections' certified 2026 General Election candidate list. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Ryan Neill (Democratic)
Ryan Neill is the Democratic nominee for Florida House District 74, which covers Sarasota County east of Interstate 75, through Venice and south to North Port, per Florida Politics. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 11, 2026.
Nick Pachota (Republican)
Nick Pachota is the Mayor of Venice and a former EMT, paramedic, firefighter and SWAT medic who remains an EMS instructor for Sarasota County Schools. He is the Republican candidate for the open Florida House District 74 seat, succeeding term-limited Rep. James Buchanan, and faces Democrat Ryan Neill in November, according to Florida Politics. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 11, 2026.
Cynthia L. Butler (Democratic), Danny Nix Jr. (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Florida House District 75; Danny Nix Jr. is the sitting member, per the Florida House of Representatives' official roster. Major-party nominees were chosen at the August 18 primary or advanced unopposed; minor-party and no-party-affiliation candidates qualify directly for the November ballot. The field is the Florida Division of Elections' certified 2026 General Election candidate list. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Cynthia L. Butler (Democratic)
Cynthia L. Butler is a Democratic candidate for Florida House District 75, which covers western Charlotte County and part of Sarasota County, according to the Charlotte Sun. She filed her campaign with the Florida Division of Elections in April 2026. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 11, 2026.
Danny Nix Jr. (Republican)Incumbent
Danny Nix Jr. works as a commercial realtor and leads the Nix Team at Coldwell Banker Sunstar, according to the Florida House's official member page. He previously owned Nix & Associates Real Estate from 2016 to 2022 and is a past chair of the Florida Southwestern State College board of trustees, per Florida Politics.
These race previews show candidates we’re tracking now. A ZIP code shows your statewide and congressional races; a street address adds county and city contests. Local races are address-specific. This guide previews tracked contests, while the lookup tool narrows the list to a voter’s exact address. Tap any name to see the race, full candidate profiles, and everything else on your exact ballot.
Sarasota County 2026 election questions
Who is on the ballot in Sarasota County, Florida on November 3, 2026?
Sarasota County, Florida sample ballot for November 3, 2026: Commissioner District 4 and 8 more races, 19 candidates with bios and priorities. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in Florida?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Florida are listed on the Florida election hub. Florida election hub →
Which Sarasota County races were already decided at the primary?
5 races were settled at the 2026 primary and will not appear on the November 3 ballot. The results and full candidate fields stay on each race page in the section above.
How do I see my exact Sarasota County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
