Sarasota County, Florida

Sarasota County's school board is losing its conservative majority after three sitting conservatives, including chair and Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, opted not to seek reelection. Ziegler's District 1 seat is now headed to a November 3 runoff after no primary candidate cleared 50% of the vote.

Jimmy Glover, backed by Democrats, led the primary field and says voters are ready to move past "culture wars" and personal agendas. Heidi Brandt, backed by Republicans, is distancing herself from Ziegler-era policies, saying she wants to keep politics out of board decisions and focus on students. The race is officially nonpartisan.

The outcome will help determine whether Sarasota's board maintains a conservative-leaning direction shaped by Ziegler's tenure or shifts toward a more moderate composition, a closely watched bellwether in Florida's broader education politics debate.