Candidates for state, local and national office have until noon, June 17 to qualify
Correction: An earlier version of this story omitted the fact that Democrat Ray Porter has filed for the two-year District 4 seat for the Sarasota County Charter Review Board.
Qualifying week for most candidates seeking election for local, countywide, state and national office for this year's Aug. 23 primary and Nov. 8 general election is set for June 13-17.
Some local races, such as the nonpartisan Sarasota County School Board, may be decided during the Aug. 23 primary.
Other key races will be set for an Aug. 23 primary – especially partisan races such as the Sarasota County Commission, state senate and house races, as well as for governor – with the top party winners facing off in the Nov. 8 general election.
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Qualifying starts at noon Monday and ends at noon Friday. Candidates must pay a fee, submit petitions from registered voters in lieu of the fee, and submit required paperwork during the period.
One local race on a different schedule is the nonpartisan Venice City Council, which will have four council seats on the November ballot. Qualifying week in Venice runs from noon Aug. 23 to noon Aug. 26.
Equally important, Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner – in an open letter posted at https://www.sarasotavotes.gov – urges Sarasota County voters to check their voter status online and make any changes if needed.
The voter registration deadline for the Aug. 23 primary is July 25. Since Florida is a closed primary state, only registered Republicans and Democrats can vote in partisan races during the primary. Currently there are 149,927 registered Republicans, 100,856 Democrats and 96,027 voters who are not affiliated with either party.
In Manatee County, there are 120,020 registered Republicans; 79,002 Democrats; and 74,642 voters who are not affiliated with any party.
Manatee voters can check their status at https://www.votemanatee.com.
Congressional races
U.S Rep. Vern Buchanan, R- Longboat Key, , whose Dist. 16 now encompasses Manatee County and a portion of Hillsborough County, will face a primary challenge against Martin Hyde, while Democrat Jan Schneider is the only Democrat registered to run in that district.
U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, whose Dist. 17 now encompasses all of Sarasota and Charlotte counties and a portion of Lee County, currently does not face a primary challenger. Democrats Andrew Bevan and Andrea Doria Kale will face off against each other in the primary, while non-party affiliate Theodore “Pink Tie” Murray has paid the qualifying fee to run in the general election.
State legislative races
Republican state Senate Dist. 22 incumbent Joe Gruters, who represents Sarasota County and a portion of Manatee, currently has no primary opponent. Non-partly affiliate candidate Robert Samuel Kaplan has not yet qualified for the general election and no Democrat has filed to run for the seat.
Republican state Senate District 20 incumbent Jim Boyd will face a primary fight against John Houman, while Michael Harvey Sr, is the only Democrat registered in the race.
In State House races incumbent Republicans Will Robinson, District 71; Fiona McFarland; James Buchanan, District74 and Michael Grant; District 74; as well as Tommy Gregory, who moved to District 72, currently have no primary opponents.
Democrat Derek Richard Reich has filed to run against McFarland and non-party affiliate candidate Connor Jacob Trombley has filed to run against Buchanan but neither have qualified.
In state House District 70, Republicans Mike Beltran and Dennis Cooley would face a primary battle, while Eleuterio “Junior” Salazar Jr. is the only Democrat so far.
Non-partisan races
All registered voters can weigh in on the non-partisan race for the Sarasota County School Board, where seats in Districts 1, 4, 5 are on the ballot.
In District 1, incumbent Bridget Ziegler will face challenger Dawnyelle Singleton; District 4 has Lauren Kurnov facing Robyn Marinelli; and District 5 has Nora Cietek facing Timothy Enos – though three other candidates had filed for the seat but are technically listed as active-withdrawn.
In Manatee County the School Board seats for District 2, 4 and 5 are on the ballot.
In District 1, Susan Agruso, Harold E. Byrd Jr. and Cindy Spray are all on the ballot. In District 4, incumbent Chad Choate is scheduled to face Garin C, Hoover. In District 5, incumbent James T. Golden will face Richard William Tatem and Chantal Wilford.
County commission races
Sarasota County Commission seats for District 2 and 4 will be on the ballot only for voters within those districts.
Incumbent District 2 Republican Christian Zieger has not yet filed for a second term, while two other Republicans, Lourdes Ramirez and Mark Smith have filed and will be on the Aug. 23 primary ballot. Democrats Fredd Atkins, Hagen Brody and Mike Cosentino are also running and will face off in the primary.
In District 4, Republicans Mark Hawkins and Joe Neunder have both filed, while only one Democrat, Daniel Kuether has filed to date.
Two city of Sarasota at-large commission seats are on the Aug. 23 primary ballot. Incumbent Jen Ahearn-Koch will be joined on the ballot by Dan Lobeck, Debbie Trice, Sheldon Rich, Terrill Salem, and Carl Shoffstall.
The top three vote-getters from the primary will advance to the November general election, with the top two there winning at-large seats on the City Commission.
In North Port, where Districts 4 and 5 are up for election, a primary is guaranteed in District 5, where David Pankiw, Phillip Stokes and Victor Dobrin are on the ballot. If one of those candidates receives 50% of the vote plus one, they will win the seat outright. Otherwise, the top two finishers move to the November ballot.
So far only incumbent Mayor Pete Emrich has filed for District 4. If nobody files to oppose him he would be automatically elected.
Three Manatee County Commission seats are on the ballot: Districts 2, 4 and District 6, which is at-large.
In District 2, incumbent Democrat Reggie Bellamy is scheduled to face Charles B. Smith in the primary; while Amanda Ballard is the only Republican to file so far.
In District 4, incumbent Republican Misty Servia is set to face a primary against Mike Rahn; independent Timothy Norwood and write-in candidate Daniel Hansen have filed for the general election.
In District 6, incumbent Republican Carol Whitmore would face a primary fight against Jason Bearden and Carol Ann Felts. Write-in candidates Robert Lesher and Manuel Antonio Llamas are filed.
Sarasota Charter Review and Hospital boards
Only one of five Sarasota County Charter Review Board seats is currently set for a primary race – District 1, where Republican Alexandra Coe will face Les Nichols. Democrat Nancy M. H Simpson is currently unopposed.
For the other district races, Republicans G. Matthew Browkway, Andrew Kirby, Joe Justice currently have no primary opposition – or Democrat opposition – in Districts, 2, 3, and 5, respectively.
In District 4 Republican Clayton W. Taylor is slated to face Democrat Ray Porter in the general election.
Currently only Republicans have filed for the Sarasota County Hospital Board, Joseph J. DeVirgilio Jr. in Central District Seat 2; Jim Meister in Northern District Seat 1; Richard Rehmeyer in Northern District Seat 2; Darryl Henry in Southern District Seat 1; and Gregory Carter in Southern District Seat 2.
Earle Kimel primarily covers south Sarasota County for the Herald-Tribune and can be reached at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription to the Herald-Tribune.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Primary, general election candidates set for qualifying this week
