“Sarasota School Board flips to liberal majority after years of conservative control”

WUSF reports that former teachers Megan Tennimon and Beth Mayberry defeated conservative opponents, changing the ideological balance of a Sarasota County School Board that had been controlled by conservatives since 2022. Tennimon won District 4 with about 55% and Mayberry won District 5 with about 57%. Together with existing members Liz Barker and Tom Edwards, their victories create a new majority on the five-member board.

The article places the election in a larger national political context. It specifically discusses Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, whose seat is now being contested, and notes that Sarasota's board had previously received national headlines for culture-war battles. Jimmy Glover led the District 1 race with about 44% and will face Republican Heidi Brandt in the November runoff; former Moms for Liberty activist Teresa DeWitt finished third.