Bridget Ziegler is not running, and candidates are distancing themselves from Moms for Liberty.
By Ed James III
Original Air Date: June 24, 2026
Host: The candidate qualifying period for Sarasota County’s local elections ended on Friday, June 12. Reporter Ed James III is putting the focus on a notable absence: With the official field now set for the August 18 primary, the races for the Sarasota County School Board will proceed without incumbent Bridget Ziegler. She did not file for re-election, and that has not only implications for the upcoming elections but marks the visible end of an era.
Moms for Liberty | Photo: MfL
EJ: The close of the qualifying period confirms that the District 1 seat, held by Bridget Ziegler since 2014, will be open in the upcoming election. Three candidates have qualified for the position: Heidi Brandt, Teresa DeWitt and Jimmy Glover.
Bridget Ziegler’s decision not to seek re-election marks a significant turning point for the Sarasota County School Board. As a co-founder of Moms for Liberty and her focus on policies like curriculum transparency and parental rights, Ziegler had a national profile. Her departure leaves a leadership vacuum in a district that has become a flashpoint for debates over the role of school boards and public schools. Her legacy remains a subject of ongoing discussion; supporters point to her advocacy for transparency, while critics focus on the polarization that accompanied her policy initiatives, which they argue distracted from the board’s primary academic functions.
The absence of an incumbent in District 1 changes the parameters of the race, and the August elections could end the 3-2 conservative majority of the Sarasota School Board.
Bridget Ziegler
I reached out to Bridget Ziegler via phone call to request an interview regarding her tenure and departure; however, we were unable to arrange a time to speak prior to the story’s deadline.
Candidates are now navigating how to address the district’s future without the presence of the board’s most polarizing and prominent figure.
Teresa Ann DeWitt, one of the three candidates, has addressed her past association with the organization Ziegler co-founded, framing her eventual exit from the group as a move toward a more education-focused approach. She served as co-chair of the organization for a limited time.
Teresa DeWitt
Teresa Ann DeWitt: I actually helped Moms for Liberty out with their mental health platform. This was at the very beginning. I was their chapter co-chair for a couple of months. Then I tried to help out with some mental health stuff. However, I had removed myself from Moms for Liberty because they decided to become a political organization, and as a therapist—counselor—I didn’t want to be involved in a political group.
EJ: Jimmy Glover, who is running for the seat, emphasizes that his candidacy is a direct response to a perceived decline in leadership and a breakdown in community trust. A parent of four children who graduated from the district, Glover points to the board’s recent political trajectory as a primary motivator.
Glover has been outspoken against the policies championed by Ziegler., He referenced the board’s resolution affirming cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Jimmy Glover
Jimmy Glover: I feel that the current representative of District 1 has failed District 1. That’s why I’m running. One particular moment for me was when the ICE resolution came up. I’m not sure if a lot of people are familiar that District 1 is a heavily Hispanic population. The fact that that particular person brought up that ICE resolution was really disturbing to me because she instilled a lot of fear in the community—a lot of fear in the children that go to school with my daughter. For that reason alone, I believe there needs to be a change.
EJ: He emphasizes that his goal is to move the board away from what he calls “culture war” issues and back toward practical governance, citing the need for all hands on deck to address student mental health and academic achievement.
As candidates articulate their visions, seasoned observers emphasize the need for professional continuity. Katrina Ward, former Supervisor of School Choice for the Sarasota County School District, highlighted that the district’s reputation for high-quality instruction depends on steady, non-partisan leadership.
Katrina Ward: With some of the school board members not running for re-election, the district now has an opportunity to hopefully find school board members that will become more cohesive and will begin really taking a look at what is really going to be in the best interest of all students enrolled in Sarasota County Schools and not just have certain political ideas that they are trying to implement based on some of the statutes coming through. It’s really going to be taking a look at what every student needs in order to be successful.
EJ: Voters will select three new school board members on August 18. For WSLR News, this has been Ed James III.
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