Sarasota GOP leaders remember local party Executive Director Kelly Erwin

Kelly Erwin laid the groundwork for a winning year for the Republican Party of Sarasota County. But this weekend, she lost a long fight with cancer.

The 58-year-old died on Saturday evening. Local political leaders remembered her as a dedicated leader with decades of experience on the trail.

“I’ve known Kelly for a long, long time, and will greatly miss her,” said Jack Brill, Republican Party of Sarasota County Chair. “She had been a valuable part of our team for a decade when I hired her into the Executive Director position. She was incredibly valuable to our entire organization and was a remarkable person.”

Erwin served as the local party’s Executive Director for the last four years and played a key part with the organization for a decade. Her experience goes back further, including working on campaigns for former Rep. Ray Pilon, a Sarasota Republican.

Pilon said he knew Erwin for nearly 25 years, dating back to his campaign for Sarasota County Sheriff. While that race was ultimately unsuccessful, she also helped him on three successful House campaigns, including one where he unseated Democratic Rep. Keith Fitzgerald in 2010.

“She became not only someone supportive in the political arena but was very close to my wife and I as a friend,” Pilon said. “She came over and cooked dinner for us, which became a weekly event whenever we were in town.”

Sen. Joe Gruters, a former Republican Party of Sarasota Chair, recalled Erwin as consistently dedicated.

“Kelly Erwin was a selfless individual who consistently prioritized others above herself,” he said. “She devoted much of her life to supporting conservative candidates and advancing their efforts in and around Sarasota, leaving our community stronger and better because of her dedication.”

Pilon said her commitment to the area set her apart from many consultants he worked with, who often live outside Sarasota.

“She wasn’t someone who was doing this for a living,” he said. “She was very concerned about how my political career would affect us locally. She was not one of those political gurus. She was a citizen like everybody else. That was the difference.”

Brill also said she closely followed politics to the end. He has seen her weekly as her health worsened, and was pleased he could share election results with her last week. Besides Donald Trump’s presidential win, he noted the local Republican Party won 28 out of 32 races this year, and that the 87.4% turnout among Republicans in Sarasota County was the highest in county history.

He gives Erwin credit for much of that performance.

“She just loved politics, and was a great team player,” Brill said.