3 school board candidates who spoke at DeSantis Sarasota rally win their races

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Three of the Sarasota County School Board candidates who spoke at a rally alongside Gov. Ron DeSantis have won their races.

Schoolboard races in Florida are non-partisan but they took on a partisan shape at the rally with the Governor who endorsed candidates who supported his administration’s education policies.

At the event Robin Marinelli Bridget Ziegler, and Tim Enos all spoke at the rally at Sahib Shrine Event Center last Sunday.

Election of school boards, traditionally low-key local affairs, have become political battlegrounds with statewide implications, political experts say.

Political Scientist Dr. Stephen Voss told ABC7 that in many cases, elections like school board and other nonpartisan races were becoming polarized.

“We’re seeing lower level offices and historically non-partisan office being more politicized” Dr. Voss explained.

DeSantis touted his administration’s dedication to education and fighting the teaching of critical race theory in Florida schools. He also lauded that he was keeping Florida students inside schools when other schools in states like New York and California kept students locked out during COVID.

Denouncing leftism and Marxism, DeSantis said going forward, his goals were to keep those individuals out of Florida schools.