Sarasota Co. Primary Results: Barker, Edward Lead School Board Races

Updated: 8:03 p.m., Tuesday

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — With nearly all precincts reporting results just by 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Liz Barker and Tom Edwards lead their opponents in Sarasota County School Board races.

Barker, who earned just over 51,000 votes — or more than 51 percent — had the edge late Tuesday night of incumbent Karen Rose in the District 1 race, according to the Sarasota County Supervisor of Election website. Rose earned more than 48,000 votes or more than 48 percent.

Scroll down to view the table showing the latest results in real time.

"It's a testament to the power of community and the fact that we chose kindness and we chose each other and we chose our students and our children and our teachers and our parents," Barker said, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. "I'm so proud to be a Sarasotan."

Edwards, the incumbent, had earned more than 53,000 or about 56 percent of the votes in the District 3 races late Tuesday, far outpacing his opponents. Thomas Babicz won more than 22 percent of the vote with about 21,500 and Greg Wood earned nearly 21,000 votes or nearly 22 percent.

“Thank you, Sarasota County! Your trust and support have made this victory possible,” Edwards wrote in a post on his campaign’s Instagram page. “Together, we've taken another step forward in ensuring our schools provide the best education for every student. I am honored to continue serving on the School Board and to keep working hard for our students, teachers, and community. The journey continues, and I can't wait to build on the progress we've made. Let's keep moving forward together!”

Edwards, an openly gay man, has been the target of homophobic attacks during school board meetings in recent years, including one where he walked out.

The polls closed Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Sarasota County's 2024 primary elections.

Voters decided on the Democratic and Republican nominees for U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representative races in Tuesday’s primary election.

A number of local races were also considered, as well. Republicans chose their party's candidates in one Sarasota County Commission race and four Sarasota County Hospital Board races, while all voters in District 2 and 3 decided on school board members.

The following candidates were on the ballot Tuesday:

Democrats Only:

United States Senator:
Stanley Campbell

• Rod Joseph
• Debbie Mucarsel-Powell
• Brian Rush

Representative in Congress, District 17:

• Manny Lopez
• Matthew Montavon

Republicans Only

United States Senator:

• John S. Columbus
• Keith Gross
• Rick Scott

Sarasota County Commission, District 3:

• Tom Knight
• Neil Rainford

Sarasota County Tax Collector:

• Charles Bear
• Mike Moran

Sarasota County Hospital Board At-Large Seat 1:

• Sharon Wetzler DePeters
• Tamzin Rosenwasser

Sarasota County Hospital Board At-Large Seat 2:

• Kevin Cooper
• Stephen Guffanti

Sarasota County Hospital Board At-Large Seat 3:

• Pam Beitlich
• Mary Flynn O’Neill

Sarasota County Hospital Board Central District Seat 1:

• Sarah Lodge
• Tanya Parus

Voters in District 2

Sarasota County School Board Member:

• Karen Rose
• Liz Barker

Voters in District 3

Sarasota County School Board Member:

• Thomas Babicz
• Tom Edwards
• Greg Wood

REAL-TIME RESULTS FOR SARASOTA COUNTY RACES

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 The Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections