The public school advocate is running for Bridget Ziegler’s seat.
Original Air Date: October 8, 2025
Host: Jimmy Glover wants to shake up the Sarasota County School Board. The first-time candidate is running in District 1, the seat currently held by Bridget Ziegler. WSLR’s Brice Claypoole reached out to Glover and learned about the changes he wants to bring to Sarasota schools.
Brice Claypoole: Bridget Ziegler, co-founder of the far-right advocacy group Moms for Liberty, has been a lightning rod for controversy. Since she was elected to the Sarasota School Board in 2022, she has focused on rooting out alleged left-wing influence in schools. In 2023, she came under fire due to a sex scandal, and the School Board voted 4-1 to request her resignation. She stood firm, but if she decides to run again in 2026, she’ll face challenges from both GOP-backed Heidi Brandt and Democrat-backed Jimmy Glover.
Brandt originally agreed to an interview but did not respond to subsequent emails and phone calls. Ziegler could not be reached for comment. Glover, however, was eager to speak. He says he’d be a sharp divergence from the status quo. His top priority is ending the culture wars that have consumed the school board in recent years.
Jimmy Glover: Like many parents and community members, I’m concerned school board decisions have started reflecting political agendas instead of educational excellence. I didn’t vote for extremist policies, culture wars, or banning of books, and I realized my values aren’t being represented. So I ended up asking myself one simple question: “What am I going to do about it?” And the answer was clear: to run for school board and make a difference.…