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Bridget Ziegler
Bridget Ziegler is a member of the Sarasota County Schools school board in Florida, representing District 1. She assumed office in 2014. Her current term ends on November 17, 2026.
Ziegler won re-election to the Sarasota County Schools school board to represent District 1 in Florida outright in the primary on August 23, 2022, after the general election was canceled.
Elections
2022
See also: Sarasota County Schools, Florida, elections (2022)
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Sarasota County Schools school board District 1
Incumbent Bridget Ziegler won election outright against Dawnyelle Singleton in the primary for Sarasota County Schools school board District 1 on August 23, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Bridget Ziegler (Nonpartisan) | 56.3 | 69,719 |
| Dawnyelle Singleton (Nonpartisan) | 43.7 | 54,034 | ||
| Total votes: 123,753 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2018
- See also: Sarasota County Schools elections (2018)
The general election was canceled in this district after the primary election winner received more than 50 percent of the vote.
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Sarasota County Schools school board District 1
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bridget Ziegler (Nonpartisan) | 50.6 | 46,623 |
| Nick Guy (Nonpartisan) | 49.4 | 45,547 | ||
| Total votes: 92,170 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2014
- See also: Sarasota County Schools elections (2014)
The August 26, 2014, general election in Sarasota County featured three seats up for election. District 1 incumbent Bridget Ziegler faced a challenge from Velton Hodges, Ken Marsh and Paul J. Schafer. None of the four candidates received 50 percent of the vote in the general election, so Bridget Ziegler and Ken Marsh, the top two vote-getters, advanced to the runoff election on November 4, 2014. District 4 incumbent Shirley Brown and District 5 incumbent Jane Goodwin won re-election, defeating challengers Helen Wolff and Randy McLendon, respectively.
Results
Runoff
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Bridget Ziegler Incumbent |
50.9% | 69,881 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ken Marsh | 49.1% | 67,488 | |
| Total Votes | 137,369 | |||
| Source: Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections, "General Election Official Results," accessed December 23, 2014 | ||||
General
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Ken Marsh |
40.6% | 20,315 | |
| Nonpartisan | Bridget Ziegler Incumbent |
36.8% | 18,412 | |
| Nonpartisan | Paul J. Schafer | 14.5% | 7,265 | |
| Nonpartisan | Velton Hodges | 8% | 4,009 | |
| Total Votes | 50,001 | |||
| Source: Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary Election Official Results," accessed December 23, 2014 | ||||
Endorsements
Ziegler was endorsed by former Sarasota County School Board member Laura Benson.[1]
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Bridget Ziegler did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Noteworthy events
This article contains a developing news story. Ballotpedia staff are checking for updates regularly. To inform us of new developments, email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Resolution to step down from board (2023)
On December 12, 2023, the Sarasota County School Board voted 4-1 in favor of a resolution encouraging Bridget to step down from her position on the board.[2]The board’s bylaws do not allow for it to remove members, and Bridget has not resigned.[2][3]
Christian Ziegler is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in October 2023. Ziegler and his wife Bridget Ziegler had allegedly planned a sexual encounter with the woman; when Bridget couldn't attend, the woman attempted to cancel, alleging that Christian proceeded to assault her at her apartment.[4][5] The Sarasota Police Department closed an investigation into the allegation in January 2024 but forwarded a separate allegation of video voyeurism to the state attorney.[6]
“You know, I am disappointed. As people may know, I serve on another public board and this issue did not come up and we were able to forge ahead with the business of the board," said Bridget Ziegler, referring to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which she is also a member.[7]
On January 8, 2024, the executive committee of the Republican Party of Florida voted to remove Ziegler as party chair.[8]
On December 17, 2023, the executive committee of the Republican Party of Florida voted 39-0 to suspend Christian Ziegler as party chair and reduce his salary to $1. The vote removed most of Ziegler’s powers as chair, including hiring or dismissing staff, representing or speaking on behalf of the Florida GOP, or fundraising for the party.[5]
In an email in early December 2023, Christian Zeigler wrote to supporters saying that he would not resign as chair and denied the allegations.[9]
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Bridget Ziegler, "- ENDORSEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT -," accessed August 22, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 “Florida school board recommends ouster of Moms for Liberty co-founder over Republican sex scandal,” accessed December 18, 2023
- ↑ ‘’Sarasota County Schools’’, “CHAPTER 2 SCHOOL BOARD GOVERNANCE AND ORGANIZATION,” accessed December 18, 2023
- ↑ ‘’NBC’’, “Florida Republican leaders vote to strip authority from party chairman accused of rape,” accessed December 18, 2023
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 ‘’CNN’’, “Florida GOP censures Chair Christian Ziegler and strips him of authority amid sexual assault investigation,” accessed December 18, 2023
- ↑ WGCU, "Bridget Ziegler contradicts husband’s story of planned threesome," accessed January 31, 2024
- ↑ Today’’, “Florida GOP expected to oust leader Christian Ziegler after sexual assault allegation,” accessed December 18, 2023
- ↑ News Channel 8, "Florida Republicans vote to oust chairman accused of rape," accessed January 8, 2024
- ↑ ‘’AP’’, “Florida Republican chairman won’t resign over rape allegation, saying he is innocent,” accessed December 18, 2023
