Primary Leads to New School Board Majority; District 1 Race to Be Decided in November

The primary elections led to a change in the political majority on Sarasota's school board with the victories of two Democrat-backed candidates. Megan Tennimon received 55.14% of the vote for the District 4 seat, while Beth Mayberry claimed the District 5 seat with 56.67%. The District 1 seat will be decided in a November runoff between the two leading candidates, Jimmy Glover and Heidi Brandt, after Glover led Tuesday night at 43.58%, followed by Brandt at 31.74% and Teresa DeWitt at 24.67%.

Supporters celebrated the wins at Tamiami Tap. Tennimon said her plans for the coming weeks include school board governance training and visiting all the schools in Sarasota to introduce herself to staff, while Mayberry said she's looking forward to bringing full transparency to the board and preparing the community for tough funding decisions ahead. Glover, who has been outspoken against the leadership of current board chair Bridget Ziegler, campaigned on refocusing the board on student needs, while Brandt, endorsed by the Republican Party, has positioned herself as the only candidate with children currently in the district.

Ziegler's tenure on the board has been controversial, marked by public opposition to policies including a resolution affirming cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and another rejecting federal Title IX regulations issued during the Biden administration.