Ahearn-Koch, Trice Win Sarasota City Commission Seats, City Says

Updated: 10:44 p.m., Tuesday

SARASOTA, FL — Incumbent Jen Ahearn-Koch and Debbie Trice have been elected to serve four-year terms as at-large seats on the Sarasota City Commission, based on unofficial results from Tuesday's general election, according to a news release from the city.

Voters chose between three candidates — Ahearn-Koch, Trice and Dan Lobeck — to fill the two available seats. Polls closed at 7 p.m. in Florida.

See the chart at the bottom of this story for live results from the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections.

They were the top three vote-getters out of six candidates in the August primary election, moving them forward to the general election and final vote.

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.

The commissioners-elect will be sworn into office at Sarasota City Hall during the commission’s noon meeting on Monday, the city said. The meeting can be viewed via live stream at www.SarasotaFL.gov, Facebook or on Access Sarasota television (Comcast channel 19, Frontier channel 32).

“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,” Ahearn-Koch 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.”

REAL-TIME RESULTS FOR SARASOTA COUNTY, GENERAL ELECTION

Be sure to refresh this page for the latest results. Scroll through the table below to find results for each race. Can't see the widgets below? Click here for all results from Sarasota County.