Sarasota City Commission Election: 3 Candidates Vie For 2 Open Seats

SARASOTA, FL — Voters will choose between three candidates — incumbent Jen Ahearn-Koch, Dan Lobeck and Debbie Trice — to fill two at-large Sarasota City Commission seats on Tuesday.

Ahearn-Koch, Lobeck and Trice were the top three vote-getters out of six candidates in the August primary election, moving them forward to the Nov. 8 race.

On Aug. 23, Ahearn-Koch led the pack with 34.72 percent of the vote, according to the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office. Lobeck and Trice were her two closest challengers, earning 19.02 percent and 19.58 percent of the vote, respectively.

Ahearn-Koch is in her sixth year as a Sarasota city commissioner at-large.

“As the city continues to grow, I remain a strong advocate and representative at the commission table for the citizen’s voice in the conversation and process,” she wrote in response to a Patch candidate questionnaire. “The city of Sarasota is a desirable place to be, to learn, to live, to work, to create, to build a business, to raise a family, to retire, to visit, and so much more. This growth needs to be managed in a responsible and comprehensive manner.”

Lobeck, an attorney, has sat on the Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Committee and the Citizen Advisory Committee.

In his candidate survey, he told Patch, “I seek to apply my 35 years of local civic advocacy and skills as an attorney to make a positive difference on the Sarasota City Commission. If elected, I will do my best to put our residents in the driver's seat, not the developers, to shape Sarasota's growth in a way that preserves and polishes our charm and character rather than create another overcrowded city from which people seek to flee.”

Meanwhile, Trice worked in marketing for IBM, engaged in various entrepreneurial ventures and was elected to the Sarasota County Charter Review Board.

She told Patch in her questionnaire, “The demand for housing for Sarasota's working families is much greater than the supply, and that drives the costs beyond what these families can afford. But local developers continue to build homes for the wealthy and almost nothing for working families. So far, action by our city government has been ineffective. I seek to change that. I also seek to make sure current residents have a voice in plans for their neighborhoods. My goal is to make Sarasota a city that works for everyone — where everyone has a voice and a place to live.”

Where and how to vote

In order to cast your ballot in the 2022 general election, you’ll need to bring a valid and current photo and signature ID to your polling station. Without proper identification, you may still vote a provisional ballot, which will later be evaluated by a canvassing board for eligibility.

If you’re not sure where to vote, you can look up your polling station on the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections website. Sample ballots are also available at that link.

Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 8. If you are in line at 7 p.m., you will be allowed to vote, but if you arrive at the polling place after 7 p.m., you will not be allowed to vote.