Knight Takes Lead In Sarasota Co. Commission Race: Unofficial Results

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — Republican Tom Knight took a strong lead in Tuesday’s Sarasota County Commission District 3 race, according to unofficial results from the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections office.

Knight won 69.76 percent of the votes over opponent Shari Thornton, who ran with no party affiliation and earned 30.24 percent, unofficial results show.

The former Sarasota County sheriff unseated Republican incumbent Neil Rainford in the Aug. 20 primary race before going on to face Thornton in the general election.

“Last night marked the beginning of an exciting journey and the end of another. Our family will be forever grateful for the support of our citizens and, most significantly, our group of volunteers,” Knight wrote in a Facebook post. “These people love our community and will move mountains to bring strong, ethical leadership back to Sarasota County government. You are too many to name, but you know who you are. Please accept our deepest and most heartfelt thanks. I promise I will not let you down!”