Prominent GOP figure Christian Ziegler isn't running again for the Sarasota County Commission

Sarasota County Commissioner Christian Ziegler isn’t running for re-election to his District 2 seat.

The noon deadline passed Friday without Ziegler qualifying, according to Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner.

In addition to serving as a county commissioner, Ziegler runs a consulting firm, is raising three daughters and is planning to help with Gov. Ron DeSantis' re-election campaign and his wife, Bridget Ziegler, in her campaign for re-election to the Sarasota County School Board. With all of these duties, Ziegler said he doesn't have the time to dedicate himself to a full-time campaign for County Commission.

"It's an honor to serve," he said. "It's been fantastic. Nothing's to say I don't run in the future, but as of right now, I gotta make sure my wife gets re-elected and I gotta make sure Gov. DeSantis gets re-elected at the state level."

Siesta Key leaders Mark Smith and Lourdes Ramirez will face off in the District 2 Republican primary on Aug. 23. Former Sarasota mayors Fredd Atkins and Hagen Brody and Siesta Key advocate Mike Cosentino will compete in the Democratic primary.

Since Ziegler isn't running, the commission will have two new faces after the November election. Board chairman Alan Maio will be leaving the commission as well, because commissioners can only serve two terms.

More about District 2 race: Siesta Key leader Mark Smith enters District 2 County Commission race

And: Siesta Key activist Lourdes Ramirez enters District 2 County Commission race

Ziegler's tenure on the commission

Ziegler ran for the District 2 seat in 2018, when he won the general election with 55.6% of the vote. He served as the commission’s vice chairman in 2021, and he has focused on water quality, infrastructure and other issues during his time on the board.

"I'm proud of the stuff that we've been able to do," he said. "I think over the last four years, since I've been on the commission, I've made water quality a top priority."

Ziegler has been an advocate for the county’s plan to convert its water reclamation facilities into advanced wastewater treatment facilities. These upgrades are intended to decrease the amount of harmful nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorus, that enters Sarasota Bay.

Ziegler said that during his tenure on the County Commission, the board also weathered the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that the commission did not make businesses close or implement any mask mandates.

Ziegler also considers the commission's work on River Road an accomplishment. State transportation officials awarded a $47.5 million construction contract last August for the widening of River Road from I-75 to U.S. 41.

Why he isn't running

Ziegler and his wife are prominent figures in state and local GOP politics. Bridget Ziegler has been on the Sarasota County School Board since 2014 and was one of the founders of Moms for Liberty, a grassroots organization that advocates for parental rights in schools.

Christian Ziegler runs consulting firm Microtargeted Media LLC and is the vice chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. He said he plans to campaign for DeSantis this year by traveling the state, knocking on doors, making phone calls and mobilizing the campaign's volunteers. He plans to do similar work for his wife's campaign as well.

Ziegler said he is able to do his day-to-day work as a county commissioner on top of these other responsibilities, but he wouldn't be able to also campaign for himself.

"It's just difficult to dedicate, you know, 48 hours a day towards campaigning," he said. "I'm one of those that if you're going to do something, you got to do it all in, 110%."

Ziegler would have had to compete in a single-member district race if he had chosen to run for re-election to the County Commission.

Under the single-member districts system, commissioners are elected solely by the citizens of their district, instead of being elected by voters countywide. Voters initially approved the system in 2018 and then reapproved it in a referendum this March. 

Single-member districts could have made it more difficult for Ziegler to be elected this year than in 2018, as his district has more registered Democrats than Republicans. The county as a whole has a plurality of Republicans.

The County Commission opted to not approve a redistricting map last November that would have made it easier for Ziegler to be re-elected. He told the Herald-Tribune that the results of redistricting and of the single-member districts referendum mean that he would have to spend a lot of time campaigning.

"I think I could have absolutely have won this if I had time to do a full campaign," he said.

Ziegler said he brought a "unique perspective" to the County Commission as he is raising a young family. Commissioners are often around retirement age.

Stepping down from his post on the commission will allow him to spend more time with his daughters. He serves as a softball coach for them and their peers.

Anne Snabes covers city and county government for the Herald-Tribune. You can contact her at asnabes@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @a_snabes.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: GOP leader Christian Ziegler isn't running again for County Commission