Sarasota Republican Club introduces local candidates

Candidates preparing to run in the 2016 local and state elections had the opportunity to mingle with constituents at the 2016 Election Year Kick-Off Celebration Thursday evening at the Sarasota Yacht Club. 

The event has hosted by the Sarasota Republican Club and Republican Party of Sarasota County as a chance to bring local and state Republican candidates together who are running for office. 

"We’ve got a very united party in 2016," said Jack Brill, president of the Sarasota Republican Club. "With this year being a U.S. Senate and presidential race we don’t want everybody to forget the people who really represent us on a local basis whether it’s in the state Senate, the Florida House and the local Sarasota County Commission."

The event mostly focused on local and state elections. However Sarasota GOP Chairman Joe Gruters did take the opportunity to mention what the party is doing to prepare for the presidential election as well with plans for offices throughout the county. 

"We’re going to make sure that whoever our nominee is at the presidential level, the state senate seat and all of these other races, that we have the troops on the ground, the headquarters holding up and the resources available to them to help these guys continue to be successful at the ballot boxes," Gruters said.