Hundreds attend Sarasota Republican Candidates Rally
SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Senator Rick Scott headlined the Sarasota Republican Candidates Rally on Saturday.
The place was packed with Republicans all talking about primaries, elections and issues facing the country on a local, state and national level.
Organizers for the rally said this is the 7th one that’s been held, and more than 50 candidates from Sarasota County attended, as well as Congressmen and Senators.
“In Sarasota County, all of our elected, except the state tax collector, and a couple seats in Sarasota, are all Republicans. So, we’ve worked to have the majority of everything in Sarasota County for a long time,” said Jack Brill, Chairman for the Republican Party of Sarasota County.
With lots of races coming up, organizers said there are important local issues on the ballot.
“All these races are important, the County Commissioner, the hospital board, the charter review board people, the city candidates, they have more impacts on our lives on a daily basis than almost the presidential and the U.S. Senate,” Brill said.
8 On Your Side spoke with the Sarasota Democratic Party before Saturday’s event, and they said all eyes will be on the rally.
“The Democratic party and the voters as a whole of Sarasota County will be watching very closely to see what sort of topics are brought up, how the candidates position themselves on the issues,” said Daniel Kuether, Chair of Sarasota County Democratic Party.
Former President Donald Trump’s campaign was brought up and the party’s concerns over Vice President Kamala Harris being at the top of the ticket.
“Kamala Harris is weak and dangerously liberal,” Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power said.
“We like legal immigration, they’ve taken all immigration down, they tainted it,” Scott said.
The Sarasota Democratic Party said they’re thankful for President Biden and what he’s accomplished over the last four years, and how they are excited to see what Harris can do.
“In a state where things like reproductive rights will be on the ballot in November, having a female at the top of the ticket, I think it going to be really potential for a lot of enthusiasm,” Kuether said.
Speakers at the event said there are several issues that are currently facing the country under the Biden-Harris Administration.
“If Ronald Raegan was alive today, he’d say what the hell have you done to my country? Whether it’s the crime, the border, the military, there’s so many problems we have right now. I’m talking about how we’re going to win in November and how we’re going to change the country.”
When the time comes in November, organizers said voters need to make sure to pay attention to the local level, not just state and federal when looking at the ballot.
On Aug. 3, there will be a Rally for Democracy at Payne Park in Sarasota from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
