John Harshman seeks Sarasota at-large commission seat

John Harshman, a retired commercial real estate broker, is running for the Sarasota City Commission in the Nov. 3 nonpartisan at-large race. Two seats are open. Voters choose up to two candidates, and Florence Entler and Jen Ahearn-Koch are also running.

Asked why he is seeking office, Harshman said in our candidate questionnaire: "Sarasota has been my home for 52 years, and I want to give back to the city that has given me so much. Before deciding to run, I spent 45 days listening to neighborhood, business, arts, nonprofit and environmental leaders. I heard the same concerns again and again: City Hall isn't listening, the basics of a clean and safe city are being neglected, and taxpayer money is too often spent on the wrong priorities."

Candidate information

Residence: Harshman said in our questionnaire: "My wife, Virginia, and I were married on Sarasota Bay, in the backyard of our home in Bayview Heights, where I've lived for 40 years."

Education: Harshman said in our questionnaire: "I graduated from the University of South Florida, which I paid for myself by working construction, washing dishes and waiting tables. I am also an honorary alumnus of New College and a 1993 graduate of Leadership Sarasota."

Occupation: Harshman said in our questionnaire: "In 1989 I founded Harshman & Company, Inc., a full-service commercial brokerage in downtown Sarasota … Over a 45-year career, I completed more than $250 million in sales and leased nearly one million square feet of commercial space. I was named Commercial Broker of the Year in 1993 … I am now retired and can give my full attention to serving the city."

Family: Asked whether anyone in his family works in politics or government, Harshman said: "No."

Best advice: "Listen more than you talk," Harshman said. "I came to Sarasota with $20 in my pocket, and every opportunity I've had came from people who took the time to hear me out."

Experience and public service

Harshman said in our questionnaire that he has never held elected office. His appointed and volunteer service, as he listed it:

Chairman, Sarasota County Public Facilities Finance Advisory Board (2002–2009)
Chairman, City of Sarasota Community Redevelopment Advisory Board (2012–2013)
Sarasota County Environmentally Sensitive Lands Oversight Committee
City of Sarasota Tree Advisory Committee
President, Downtown Sarasota Alliance
President, Association of Downtown Commercial Property Owners
President, Girls Inc. board of directors (three years)
President, Pines, Inc. board of directors (three years)
Board of the Sarasota Ballet
National Estuary Program volunteer

On the issues

Why run now: Harshman said in our questionnaire: "When I retired at the end of 2025, I finally had the time this job deserves, and I didn't like what I was seeing … In recent years I've watched a lack of leadership, out-of-control spending and too little attention to keeping our city clean and safe."

What sets him apart: "I bring 45 years of hands-on experience in land use, development and finance. Those are the issues the commission struggles with most," Harshman said. "I know how to read a pro forma, ask hard questions and say no when a deal doesn't serve the community … I'm not using this seat as a steppingstone, and no special interest group will pull me one way or the other."

Workforce affordability: Asked what specific step he would push for first, Harshman said: "First, I would put the land the city already owns to work. The city spent $7.4 million on two First Street properties for affordable housing without a clear plan or timeline." He said he would "push to sell this land and use the proceeds to replenish the City's Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The fund could then be used for grants for professional experienced 'affordable housing' developers to help bridge the delta between the high cost of land and construction and income generated from 'affordable housing.'"