With two seats opened up by term limits, the Sarasota County Commission contests this year have drawn out a significant number if high-profile candidates, and the upcoming Republican parties are proving a lesson in contrasts.

In the District 2 race, Sarasota City Commissioners Paul Caragiulo and Shannon Snyder are both leaving their current jobs for a chance to succeed Joe Barbetta representing the region in the County Administration Building instead of City Hall. 

Caragiulo jumped into the contest early, quickly picking up Barbetta's endorsement and that of a number of establishment leaders. He is hoping his record both as a businessman and advocate of commerce interests will earn him the higher office. Through the season, he has stressed his history of developing relationships with leaders on other governmental bodies and among professional groups. "I've demonstrated I'm willing to meet and work with anyone," he said. "But I follow the this rule: if I don't piss you off at least once, then I'm not doing my job."

Snyder in contrast has stressed his willingness to speak his mind, along with his fiscally conservative credentials. He touts a history as the only member of the Sarasota City Commission today who never voted for a tax increase, and said his background as a sheriff's deputy and reputation for spotlighting problems within government matter at a point when ethics is top of mind regarding county politics. "It takes a certain toughness to watch money, and I have demonstrated that," he said. Dismissal of a county ethics officer and a perception that ethics is disregarded at the county level needs to be addressed immediately, he said, and he expects that message will resonate right now.

As for the District 4 contest, two regular players in county government are now seeking elected office. Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Associations President Lourdes Ramirez and former Sarasota County Planning Commissioner Alan Maio bye to succeed Nora Patterson.

Ramirez also feels citizens have shown concern about ethics. Her major focus as an activist in the past year, though, has been the reopening of the Sarasota County 2050 comprehensive plan, an issue she said there is surprising interest in among voters. "They are concerned about what is being proposed," she said. "They may not know all the details but they are concerned about over-development and who is paying for all of the infrastructure." She thinks voters are ready for someone new who will be out for the citizens first. 

Maio, of course, also feels he has the public's best interest in mind, but supports the proposed changes to 2050 on the grounds it will allow for positive commercial growth in the region. Some rules like fiscal neutrality have hampered financing for builders, he said."A developer or investor needs to know where he will stand," he said. He stressed developers will still cover much of the cost of products through impact fees and other measures. Maio said his experience, as a planning commission and also as a Gov. Jeb Bush-appointed member of the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council for two terms, give him the expertise to strike the right balance in rule making.

The Republican primary is scheduled Aug. 26 and open to Republican voters in Sarasota County. The winner of the Maio-Ramirez contest faces Democrat Ray Porter and no-party-affiliation candidate John Minder in November, while the winner of the Snyder-Caragiulo race will face nonpartisan candidate Alexandra Coe and two write-in candidates in November.