Incumbent faces early challenge for County Commission District 4

Sarasota County Commissioner and 2025 chairman Joe Neunder will face Republican primary opposition this year for his District 4 seat. Jim DeNiro, a retired law-enforcement officer, has announced his candidacy for the 2026 election.

DeNiro retired from the Sarasota Police Department with the rank of sergeant after a 30-year career that included criminal investigations, narcotics enforcement, patrol operations, traffic and marine units, emergency management and service as team leader of the Underwater Search and Recovery Unit. 

According to a news release, in leadership roles he managed unit budgets, personnel deployment, training costs and equipment purchasing — experience he plans to apply as county spending continues to rise.

Neunder is completing his first term on the commission, having been elected in 2022.

“Sarasota County families are paying close attention to rising costs, and county government should do the same,” DeNiro said in the news release. “When the County Commission approves a record $2.5 billion budget that draws roughly $23 million from county reserves, that level of spending warrants careful scrutiny, continued oversight and a renewed focus on fiscal discipline.”

DeNiro has served on the county’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands Oversight Committee, which works to ensure taxpayer-funded conservation efforts are transparent, effective and focused on protecting water quality, wildlife habitat and environmentally sensitive lands.

DeNiro said the impacts of population growth are felt most acutely in District 4, where residents are increasingly concerned about traffic congestion, strained infrastructure, storm-preparedness and preserving the character of their neighborhoods and coastal communities. The district from the southern half of Siesta Key to Nokomis Beach and from the shoreline to the border with DeSoto County.

In his post-law enforcement career, DeNiro works as a licensed Realtor and mortgage loan officer, experience he said reinforces the importance of keeping government efficient, taxes low and housing attainable, particularly for seniors and families on fixed incomes.

“People in District 4 care deeply about protecting their homes, their savings and their way of life,” DeNiro said in the release. “County government should focus on core services, spend responsibly and respect the taxpayers who make everything possible.”

In addition to County Commission District 4, first-term incumbent Mark Smith will face a primary opponent in District 2 in Kristina Sargent. District 2 covers much of the city of Sarasota including all coastal communities in the city. 

The county primary election will be held Aug. 18.