Jacob Ogles
Republican Alexandra Coe is making another run for the Sarasota County Commission.
The Sarasota County Charter Review Board member announced she will run for the open District 1 seat.
Coe previously ran for County Commission in 2018, before redistricting shifted district lines, and also before voters approved a switch to single-member elections. She lost a Republican Primary that year to Christian Ziegler, who chose not to run for re-election for years later and recently had a tenure as Republican Party of Florida Chair cut short by a scandal.
Now, Coe is once again running in pursuit of a change in philosophy at the county level. She said the Commission has been too influenced by development interests.
“Sarasota County is home to some of the nation’s oldest populations. Our current development trajectory does not serve our seniors well,” Coe said. “We cannot afford more of the same. It’s time for governance that values people over tax base expansion.”
She will face Teresa Mast in a GOP Primary. Incumbent County Commissioner Mike Moran cannot run for re-election thanks to term limits; he is running for Tax Collector.
Coe enters the race with the support of former County Commissioner and state Rep. Ray Pilon, who had briefly filed for the seat himself.
“Alexandra Coe is our best hope to bring common sense back to the Sarasota County Commission,” Pilon said. “She is intelligent, educated, ethical, and not beholding to special interests. As an elected Charter Review Board member, she knows the county government. People Before Politics is her mantra and she believes the citizens of the county are not currently listened to by most of the commissioners.”
Casey Pilon, Ray Pilon’s wife and a former Sarasota County GOP State Committee member, also endorsed Coe.
“Alex will be a leader committed to managing growth, especially in our rural areas, by judiciously evaluating rezoning requests, special exceptions, and proposals for increased density,” she said.
Regarding specific policy, Coe said wants a renewed focus on preserving rural areas.
“Our rural lands are not just landscapes; they’re the backbone of our urban core’s resilience against floods and storms,” she said. “Preserving them is not just an environmental stance — it’s a strategic economic necessity.”
District 1 leans heavily Republican. As of the end of January, it was home to nearly 30,000 Republicans, more than 17,000 Democrats, and more than 16,000 other voters.
