Senate Race Back in Gear

Todays News

Through much of 2015, candidates weren’t sure what Sarasota’s lone state Senate district would look like. Court battles left questions about who would even be eligible to run. But now that boundaries are likely set, three prominent political figures in the region are battling it out for the Republican nomination.

Former state Rep. Doug Holder, former Sarasota County Commissioner Nora Patterson and sitting state Rep. Greg Steube all have eyes on a state Senate seat now held by state Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice; Detert is not seeking re-election and has filed to run for Sarasota County Commission. But until a map was finalized by the courts in late December, there remained a strong possibility Steube, Patterson or both might be drawn out of the district.

Holder, despite now facing strong contenders for the race, says he feels quite satisfied with the shape of the district. The entirety of his old state House district lies in the Senate district, so he brings a political base to the race, and he feels his record in Tallahassee will play well in a primary. “Certainly between Nora and I,” he said, “I am much more conservative than she is. You can see my record of keeping taxes law, supporting smaller government and focusing still on increasing our economy. But I am also a huge supporter of the arts—I was an arts student in school—and that is a unique priority of our community.”

Patterson, though, also has won plenty of elections in Sarasota County, the entirety of which is now in the district. An admirer of Detert’s record, she expects her roots in the area to play a big role in success. She noted she has lived in the same community for decades, a contrast with other candidates. “One of my opponents just moved from where he has been living to be in Sarasota County, and another moved to the area to run here in the first place,” she said, referencing Steube’s 2014 move to the county and to criticisms dating back to 2006 that Holder moved to his House district just to run for that office. 

Steube, the only sitting office-holder now seeking the seat, stressed he has always represented part of Sarasota County since he was first elected to the House in 2010. “I’ve always been supported by a vast majority of the district,” he said. His House district includes parts of Manatee and Sarasota counties. The son of Manatee County sheriff Brad Steube, he enters this primary after developing a strong reputation among gun rights supporters, but acknowledges that certain challenges come with serving while seeking higher office. Notably, he can’t raise any money for a campaign during the legislative session this year.

And of course, the Democrats look to make the race competitive as well. Though no candidate has announced, Sarasota Democratic Party chairwoman Christine Jennings said one is exploring a bid now and could announce soon. "Charlotte County makes this district challenging," she said, "not impossible."

Of course, there also remains some chance of change to the district, which today includes all of Sarasota County and a northwest part of Charlotte County. Appeals regarding the statewide map of Senate districts could drag into March, likely the reason the Division of Elections still hasn’t opened the race up to candidates for the 2016 election cycle; Patterson and Holder are technically filed to run in 2018 while Steube has a state House campaign open and is informing donors he plans to move funding to a 2016 Senate race as soon as the state opens it up.

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