Peter Schorsch
Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight is backing James Buchanan in the special election for House District 72, which was vacated by Alex Miller on Sept. 1.
“I know James will give law enforcement the support we need to keep our community safe. He stands with us, so I will stand with him,” Knight said in press release.
Knight joins other area Republicans, including future Senate President Bill Galvano and state Rep. Jim Boyd, in endorsing Buchanan, who is the son of U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan.
“Tom Knight is beloved by our community and is one of the most respected Sheriff’s in our state. I am proud to have him on our team,” Buchanan said.
Buchanan, who filed for HD 72 within an hour of Miller announcing her resignation, is the only Republican in the race.
Buchanan is an alumnus of Florida State University and the University of South Florida, where he earned an MBA. He has worked as a real estate agent since 2006 and is longstanding member of the National Association of Realtors, Florida Association of Realtors, as well as the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee Counties.
Also running for the Sarasota County seat is Libertarian Alison Foxall and Democrats Margaret Good and Rita Jouniari, who announced her candidacy Friday.
Gov. Rick Scott set the primary election for Dec. 5, with the general election to follow on Feb. 13. The deadline for candidates to enter the race is Sept. 28.
