2026 Election Candidates

Click the names below to learn more about the candidates who will be listed on the Aug. 18 primary ballots. For the candidates with stories, their responses to the Observer's questionnaires are posted at the end of the article.

Sarasota County

City Commission

• Jen Ahearn-Koch
• Florence Entler
• John Harshman
• Yevgeny Khodorkovsky
• Rob Rominiecki

County Commission

District 2

• Kristina Sargent (REP)
• Mark Smith (REP)

District 4

• Jim DeNiro (REP)
• Joseph Neunder (REP)

Charter Review Board

District 1 (two-year term)

• Nicholas Altier (REP)
• William D. Van Allen Jr. (REP)
• Alexandra Coe (REP) 

District 3

• Arthur (Chip) Adams (REP)
• Alicia Hopper (REP)

District 5

• Erin Halstead (REP)
• Andrew Sias (REP)

Hospital Board Northern District

Seat 1

• Brad Baker (REP)
• Bill Woeltjen (REP)

Seat 2

• Tara Butler (REP)

Hospital Board Southern District

Seat 2

• Tracy Knight (REP)

School Board

District 1

• Heidi Brandt
• Teresa Ann DeWitt
• Jimmy Glover

District 4

• Frank Dicicco 
• Megan Tennimon

District 5

• Beth Mayberry 
• Michelle Pozzie

Manatee County

County Commission

District 1

• Elizabeth Arnold (REP)
• John Dunn (REP)
• Michael L Harrison (REP)
• Adam Johnson (REP)
• Sari Lindroos-Valimaki (DEM)
• Mark Stanoch (REP)
• Leland M Taylor (REP)

District 4

• Glen Gibellina
• Mike Rahn

District 6, at-large

• Tony Barrett
• John B. Calovich
• Edward J. Ference
• Tara Poulton 

School Board

District 2

• Sharon Jefferson
• Cindy Spray

District 5

• Camden T Bedinghaus
• Jonathan Mullis
• Chantal Wilford