Sarasota County School Board Loses Conservative Majority: Unofficial Results

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — A major shake-up is expected for the Sarasota County School Board after Tuesday's primary election, with Democrat-endorsed candidates leading their races, while another is headed to a Nov. 3 runoff.

Over the past four years, the school board has maintained a conservative majority, with members like Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, Robyn Marinelli, and Karen Rose focusing on matters such as parental rights, book bans, opposition to LGBTQ+ inclusion, and support for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's policies.

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With all three conservative incumbents leaving their seats, voters were given a chance to reshape the board. Tuesday's results have flipped it to a liberal majority, and the newly elected members are already promising changes.

As of Wednesday morning, Megan Tennimon, a former teacher, held the lead in the District 5 race over opponent Frank DiCicco, a former Fortune 500 manager, with 55.35 percent of the vote, unofficial results from the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections office show.

Tennimon, who is also a mother of three — a high school junior and seniors, and an eighth-grader — spoke to her supporters, including many youth who helped with her campaign, on Election Night.

She referenced her children's experiences during her speech, saying, "For almost all of their school years, we have been living with culture wars and dealing with policies that have nothing to do with education or the well-being of our students and our teachers, and that, my friends, will change in November."

In District 5, Beth Mayberry, a retired teacher, also continued to hold her lead over Michelle Pozzie, earning 56.84 percent of the vote, the unofficial results show.

It's less cut and dry in District 1, as candidates vye to fill a seat previously held by Moms for Liberty co-founder and staunch Republican, Bridget Ziegler.

While Democrat-endorsed Jimmy Glover led the three-candidate race by winning 43.75 percent of the vote, it wasn't enough to outright win the seat in the primary. He would have needed a simple majority of 50 percent of votes cast, plus at least one additional vote.

Now, the top two vote-getters in this race will go head-to-head in a general election day run-off.

As of Wednesday morning, Republican-backed Heidi Brandt earned 31.56 percent of the vote, while Teresa DeWitt, who's been active in the local Moms for Liberty chapter, had 24.69 percent.

"More than 43,000 Sarasota County voters placed their trust in me tonight. I do not take that responsibility lightly," Glover wrote in a Tuesday night social media post. "This campaign has always been about listening to our community and keeping students at the center of every decision."