One of the most contentious Republican primaries ever for the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board appeared to close in convincing fashion Tuesday night, with all four candidates supported by the Citizens for Excellence Healthcare Fund – including two board incumbents – receiving at least 62% of the popular votes, with 102 of 103 precincts reporting Tuesday night.
In doing so, they held off a slate of “medical freedom” candidates who focused on a campaign that looked back at how the hospital handled the COVID-19 pandemic and questioned the hospital’s adherence to established medical guidelines.
“I’m just so thrilled that the community was able to voice what is important to them,” said Sarasota County Hospital Board Chairwoman Sarah Lodge, who received about 70% of the vote to turn back medical freedom candidate Tanya Parus.
“I feel passionately about the hospital and that the board needs to be good people representing what is important to the community and not political agendas,” she said added. “The primary was very unique because there were some very strong things being said about the hospital that were not true.”