How Longboat voted in 2026 primary election

Voter turnout in primary elections is generally low, and even lower in non-presidential elections. But, for the 2026 primary held Aug. 18, Longboat Key voters came out in higher numbers than usual in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Turnout in primary elections is about 20%, according to an article in the Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy. This year, 33% of Sarasota County registered voters cast a ballot, while Manatee County saw 30% turnout. Precinct 201 at Longboat Key Town Hall in Sarasota County saw 1,389 voters, or 33% turnout, while Precinct 309 at Longboat Island Chapel in Manatee County saw 465 voters, a 32% turnout.

“Our turnout (among Republicans) was higher this year than two years ago,” said Republican Party of Sarasota County Chairman Jack Brill. “Sarasota County was one of the top (eight) turnout counties in the entire state.”

On a whole, Longboat Key voters went with the majority on a statewide level, with one exception. Angie Nixon’s 12-point win statewide for U.S. Senator was not reflected locally. Vindman earned 73% of the vote at Precinct 309 (Longboat Island Chapel) and 83% of the vote at Precinct 201 (Longboat Key Town Hall). Longboat Key Democratic Club President Lucie Lapovsky said now that the primary is done, the club will focus on introducing Nixon and her platform to Longboat Key Democrats.

One result from the local primaries that drew nationwide attention came from the Sarasota County School Board races, which saw candidates backed by the Republican Party fall to Democrat-endorsed challengers. The same was true on Longboat Key.

Lapovsky said the results show that Moms for Liberty “wanting to make the schools Christian” is a platform that does not sit well with most voters.

Brill said there was an “8,000 undervote” on school board races among Republicans and that “it looks like 10-12%” of registered Republicans voted for the Democrat-backed school board candidates. An undervote is when a voter does not fill out their preference for every race on the ballot.

“The voters were ready for something different than some of the narratives that have taken place over the last few years,” Brill said.

There’s one more school board race in the cards for November as Democrat-backed Jimmy Glover, who took the most votes in that race among Longboat and Sarasota County voters as a whole, will face Republican-backed Heidi Brandt. Brill said he is confident Brandt will win if Republican turnout in November is around the 80% mark, which he said is typical for November elections. Lapovsky also feels confident heading into the general election, and said she thinks “we have a good chance of turning Florida purple, if not blue.”

Brill does not believe that will happen and said that Republicans maintain a strong majority in the state, which is even more pronounced locally. Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats about 2:1 in Sarasota and Manatee counties, and the number is even higher on Longboat Key.

“We will support all Republican candidates in our efforts leading into November,” Brill said. “Whether it's door knocking, phone banking, communications, our voter guide — we’ll all be there to secure the victories for all our Republican candidates.”

Clarification: The story was updated to better reflect that Sarasota County was one of the top counties for Republican turnout.