Smith continues to outpace Sargent in contributions
As a result of the filings of their campaign finance reports for the first quarter of this year, The Sarasota News Leader has learned that incumbent Sarasota County Commissioner Joe Neunder has taken over the fundraising lead from his incumbent colleague, Commissioner Mark Smith.
Neunder is seeking to retain the District 4 seat, while Smith hopes to serve a second term as the District 2 representative. Both are set to face primary challengers in August, with one Democrat in each race thus far, as well.
The latest documents submitted to the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office show Neunder’s total contributions added up to $81,020 through March, while Smith’s totaled $67,395. Smith held the lead through the end of 2025.
Smith had spent a total of $4,739.32 through March, while Neunder’s expenditures thus far for his campaign had added up to $12,368.12.
Further, retired Sarasota Police Department sergeant Jim DeNiro — the other Republican in the District 4 race — has raised $52,505.
As the News Leader reported last week, the Democratic candidate — Julie London Ferguson of Sarasota — filed for the District 4 seat in late April. (During remarks to the County Commission as it met on May 5, Ferguson identified herself as Julie London. She also said she is a public school and elder advocate.)
Of Smith’s two challengers for the District 2 seat, only attorney Kristina Sargent of Sarasota — the other Republican in that race — had raised any money during the first quarter. Her total was $36,305.
Democrat Andrew Bevan of Sarasota still had had no funds contributed to his campaign as of March 31, the Supervisor of Elections website notes.
The next set of campaign finance reports will be due June 10, showing details about funds raised and spent in April and May, a state form says.
The qualifying period for local candidates in 2026 will begin at noon on Monday, June 8, and conclude at noon on Friday, June 12, the Florida Division of Elections points out.
Neunder’s first quarter report
From January through March, Neunder’s report shows that he raised another $34,205 and spent $6,104. Altogether, 67 contributions were listed.
The News Leader noted the following among the contributions:
- $5,000 from Mark Vengroff, a developer of affordable housing projects in Sarasota, through five different companies.
- $3,000 from three companies co-owned by Chris Brown of Osprey and his business partner, Javier Granthom. Those are The Cottage, the Hub Baja Grill and the Beach Club, all located in Siesta Village. Brown and Granthon’s hospitality group is called Above the Bar. Another person associated with Above the Bar, Nikki Baden of Sarasota, contributed $1,000, as well. Two other companies of which Brown is the principal — CJB Property Development LLC and Big Main Street LLC — each contributed $1,000. Further, Justina Granthon, who appears to be Granthon’s wife — as indicated by Sarasota County Property Appraiser’s Office records — gave Neunder $1,000.
- $2,000 from Take A Siesta Key, whose principal — based on Florida Division of Corporations records — appears to be Ashley Keiver; plus Keiver himself, who is a Realtor.
- $2,000 from Jaime DiDomenico, vice president of The Wrench Group LLC, which is based in Marietta, Ga. (DiDomenico is a Nokomis resident.) The funds came through AJA Southern Holdings LLC and Buckeye Land Investments, of which he is the principal. His wife, Julie, DiDomenico, also gave Neunder $1,000.
The following contributed $1,000 apiece to Neunder: ABC Subsidiary LLC, whose registered agent is Dave Balot of Sarasota, co-owner of Siesta Key Beach Resort & Suites in Siesta Village; Michael Holderness, another co-owner of Siesta Key Beach Resort & Suites who also has been engaged in efforts to settle a federal lawsuit he filed against the county in 2024, as the News Leader has reported; corporate trainer R. Clay Ham of Osprey; Jeffrey Birnbach of Sarasota, a licensed investigator in Sarasota; Siesta Mr. CB’s Rentals Inc., which is associated with the owners of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on south Siesta Key: Aledia Tush, Mason Tush Jr. and Mason Tush III; Bruce Cassidy of Lakewood Ranch, owner of The Concession Golf Club; retiree Lawrence Mitchell of Nokomis; Venice karate instructor Patrick O. Brenckle; Katherine Manetta Spelman, a restaurant manager; and Siesta businessman and property owner Jay Lancer.
Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman contributed $500 to Neunder, while Catherine Luckner, president of the Siesta Key Association (SKA), and her husband, Robert, acting treasurer of the SKA, gave Neunder $500 apiece.
DeNiro’s report
DeNiro, the retired Sarasota Police Department sergeant, listed 106 contributions in his first quarter report, which — because of his filing on Jan. 12 — also is the first one he has submitted to the Supervisor of Elections Office.
Of those contributions, the amounts ranged from $25 up to the $1,000 maximum.
DeNiro and his wife both contributed $1,000 to his campaign. Not counting those amounts, DeNiro had 34 contributions of $1,000, the News Leader counted.
James Parm of Nokomis and his wife, Jean, both provided $1,000 in-kind contributions to DeNiro, while a company which James Parm serves as manager— JP Strategic Advisory Group, also of Nokomis — added $900. The descriptive lines on the form say the funds were for “food & beverage,” which generally refers to a campaign event.
The following contributed $1,000 to DeNiro: Patrick Wright of Sarasota, chair of the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center’s board of governors; both Ken Goldstone of Venice, who was identified as an education administrator, and his wife, Jennifer; retirees Leslee and Lon Deckard of Sarasota; Valley Ranch Holdings of Bradenton, a real estate firm whose manager is David J. Otterness of Bradenton; Casey Galvanek of Sarasota, who is identified as “education/coach”; Matt Buchanan, son of long-time U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan of Longboat Key; Frank LaCivita, president and CEO of Willis Smith Construction in Sarasota, and his wife, Frances; Floridian Venice LLC, whose managers are Neil Malamud, Larry Lieberman and Fred Starling of the development firm Barrington Group in Sarasota; retirees Dorothy and Frank Bates of Nokomis; Holly Wright, executive director of the Payton Wright Foundation of Sarasota; Morton’s Gourmet Market of Sarasota; Michael France of Casey Key; Erin DeNiro, a pharmaceutical sales representative; retiree Leslie Quinn of Casey Key; Maryanne Andrews of Arlington, Tenn., a financial analyst; retirees Holly and John McGrath of Casey Key; retiree Robbie Swanson of Columbine Valley, Colo.; Lori and Greg McMillan of Casey Key; Henry Tafaro of Casey Key, secretary/treasurer of The Casey Key Foundation; retirees James and Diane Crawford of Casey Key; retirees Denise J. Favreau and Stephen W. Lewis of Casey Key; Dennis O. Doughty of Casey Key, president of The Casey Key Foundation; retiree John D. Briggs III of Easton, Md.; retirees Olivia and Thomas McDonough of Casey Key; and Don M. Casto III of Casey Key, a member of the board of directors of the Casto real estate firm, which is based in Cary, N.C.
The Florida PBA Local PAC (political action committee) and two PACs associated with it gave DeNiro $500 each. The website of the Florida Police Benevolent Association (PBA) says the organization is the “Voice of Florida’s Law Enforcement.”
Former county Commissioner Paul Caragiulo, a Sarasota restaurateur who is a former county commissioner, gave DeNiro $750.
John LaCivita and his wife, Lucy LaCivita, of Sarasota, gave DeNiro $500 each, as well.
The largest single expenditure DNiro listed on the form was $2,015 to Supernova Digital Communications of St. Peterburg for “website services.” He also spent $894.27 with Robert Watkins & Co., a Tampa accounting firm; $400 with JD Creations of Bradenton for photography; and $340.02 with SirSpeedy Signs of Sarasota for campaign flyers.
Mark Smith’s report
Smith brought in another $10,700 in cash and checks in the first quarter, plus $175 in in-kind assistance, from 35 individuals or entities. The lowest cash or check amount was $25, the form shows.
He spent a total of $1,327.90 during the same period.
David Rayner of Lido Key was among those contributing at the maximum level of $1,000. For several years, Rayner has requested county assistance in fighting illegal jet ski rentals and dangerous boating situations at the county’s Ted Sperling Park on South Lido; Smith has supported measures to deal with those problems.
Another South Lido resident who also has advocated for safer conditions at the park, Celine O’Connor, gave Smith $500.
The rest of the $1,000 contributors were Randall Arnaud, a Sarasota investment adviser; David Sessions of Lakewood Ranch, chair of Willis Smith Construction; and retiree Susan Scharfenberger of Englewood.
Kristy Molyneaux of Sarasota, who lives on Phillippi Creek and who has been among the most vocal advocates over the past 18 months in regard to the county’s dredging of that waterway, gave Smith $400. Another Phillippi Creek community resident, David Ochs, who, on several occasions, also has offered public comments to the commissioners related to the dredging, gave Smith $500.
The largest combined expense that Smith had with a single company during the first quarter was $1,050, which went to the CPA firm that handles his campaign finances — Robinson, Gruters & Roberts of Venice. The Gruters is Joe Gruters of Sarasota, chair of the Republican National Committee and a member of the Florida Senate.
Sargent’s latest report
Kristina Sargent added $11,175 to her District 2 campaign in cash and checks in the first quarter, plus $2,268.51 in in-kind contributions, her form shows. She spent $8,357.08 from January through March, with total campaign expenditures of $12,405.20 since her October 2025 filing for the seat.
Sargent listed 49 contributions in her latest report; they ranged from $20 to the $1,000 maximum.
Those who gave her $1,000 were attorney Jeremy Harris of Wellington, Americas Paver Sealer of Sarasota; and real estate developer Thomas J. Bury III of Sarasota, co-founder and managing partner of Car Bank SRQ.
The Tsunami Restaurant Group of Sarasota gave Sargent $1,000 for food and beverages for an event, the document says. Sargent herself paid $235.16 as an in-kind contribution for food and beverages for an event, as well.
She also received $500 from the Committee to Protect Florida PAC.
The only Sarasota contribution to that PAC this year, through March, that the News Leader could find in its review of the records came from Damian Mallard, an attorney with the Mallard Perez firm in Sarasota, which handles personal injury cases. The amount was $2,000.
Ray Pilon of Sarasota, a former member of the Florida House, contributed $200 to her campaign.
Altogether, the News Leader counted 13 contributions from attorneys and law firms in Sargent’s report, other than the Mallard contribution to the PAC.
The largest expense that Sargent recorded was $4,000, paid to Seagrape Strategies LLC of Sarasota for campaign consulting.
A payment of $2,000 went to Direct Response Campaigns in Tallahassee for consulting, while Sargent paid $1,003.60 to PAC Financial Management in Tallahassee for serving as her campaign treasurer.
Among other expenses, she paid DHJ Unlimited LLC of Sun City Center $360 for campaign shirts, and she had a $545.20 expense for “data subscription” listed for webElect.net LLC of Tampa.
