Sarasota County voters delivered a decisive rebuke to years of conservative dominated school board governance, electing progressive candidates Megan Tennimon and Beth Mayberry by double digit margins in Tuesday’s election. Combined with sitting board members Tom Edwards and Liz Barker, the progressive faction now commands a commanding majority on the five member Sarasota County School Board. A third district race between Republican endorsed Heidi Brandt and Democrat backed Jimmy Glover heads to a runoff, with the progressive candidate positioned to potentially expand their control even further. The electoral shift marks a turning point after the board spent years embroiled in high profile culture war battles over book removals, LGBTQ+ inclusion policies, and immigration enforcement cooperation with federal authorities.
The progressive surge reflects sustained community organizing against the previous board’s controversial decisions. Over the past two years, the board passed measures that sparked widespread backlash, including votes to strengthen cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, penalize student walkouts, and eliminate anti discrimination language from the student code of conduct. Activist groups like Support our Schools and the Social Equity through Education Alliance mobilized residents to regularly attend board meetings in opposition. Young voters proved particularly energized, with high school students who campaigned for the progressive candidates celebrating outside Tamiami Tap as results came in. The three winning and leading progressive candidates significantly outraised their opponents, with combined fundraising totaling over $269,000.
The election arrives as Sarasota County schools face mounting financial pressures that will likely dominate the board’s agenda. The district is eliminating 180 instructional positions and 79 classified jobs this school year as it grapples with the end of COVID emergency funding, a growing voucher program redirecting public dollars to private schools, and declining student enrollment. Mayberry, a retired math teacher, made school funding and arts program preservation central to her campaign message. The new board majority has signaled its intention to fight state policies affecting the district’s budget while restoring focus to educational priorities rather than cultural conflicts. Supporters view the shift as a mandate to rebuild community trust and prioritize student wellbeing over partisan battles.
Watch closely for how the progressive board navigates the financial crisis ahead and whether the runoff in District 1 extends their majority to a supermajority position. The coming months will reveal whether this electoral realignment translates into concrete policy changes on funding advocacy, curriculum decisions, and community engagement.
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