Sarasota County voters head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, to help choose Florida's next governor, with Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly topping a 10-ticket ballot to replace Gov. Ron DeSantis, who cannot run again after two consecutive terms.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters in line at 7 p.m. are eligible to cast a ballot, according to the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections. On Election Day, voters must go to their assigned precinct. A current, valid photo ID with signature is required.

Both candidates made Sarasota a campaign priority in the final weeks. Donalds held his last major Sarasota-Manatee rally on Nov. 2 at Ascension FBO, the final stop on his "Defending the Florida Dream Bus Tour," WWSB reported. U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, Attorney General James Uthmeier and U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan were at the event.

Jolly visited Sarasota on Oct. 3 to lay out his education plans at an event attended by hundreds, WUSF reported. Sarasota County School Board member Tom Edwards opened that rally.

More than 5.4 million Floridians had already voted early or by mail as of 8 a.m. Nov. 3, the Tallahassee Democrat reported. That is about 40% of the state's 13.7 million registered voters. Republicans led among early voters in Sarasota County, according to a Fox 13 analysis published Oct. 28.

The major-party tickets

Donalds represents Southwest Florida's 19th Congressional District in the U.S. House, a seat he has held since 2021, according to candidate records. He served in the Florida House from 2016 to 2020. His running mate, Bryan Avila, left his Florida state Senate seat to join the ticket, the Independent Florida Alligator reported. If elected, Donalds would be the first Black governor in Florida history. President Donald Trump has endorsed Donalds.

Jolly served in the U.S. House from 2014 to 2017 as a Republican. He left the party in September 2018, co-founded the Forward Party in 2022 and registered as a Democrat in April 2025, according to biographical records. His running mate, Gwen Graham, served in the U.S. House from 2015 to 2017 and held a post at the U.S. Department of Education. She is the daughter of former Florida Gov. Bob Graham. Former President Barack Obama has endorsed Jolly.

A New York Times/Siena Research Institute poll conducted Oct. 19–25 showed Donalds at 48% and Jolly at 44%, the Alligator reported.

Insurance and affordability

Property insurance is a top concern for Sarasota-area homeowners. The candidates disagree on how to fix it, according to a Sun Sentinel comparison published Oct. 20.

Donalds said he wants to preserve the 2022 and 2023 insurance reforms, expand home-hardening grants and cut rebuilding costs through permitting reform. He told the Sun Sentinel his goal is to bring costs down another 20% to 25%.

Jolly proposed creating a state-backed catastrophe fund to carry hurricane and wind risk, with private insurers handling other coverage. His campaign has claimed the plan could cut premiums 60% to 70%. That estimate has not been established through an independent actuarial analysis, according to a Lower Mortgage policy comparison published Oct. 30. The Alligator also noted that a PolitiFact investigation found insurance experts doubt the fund would save homeowners in the long run.

Both plans would require approval from the Florida Legislature, the Lower Mortgage analysis noted.

Education and data centers

Education split the candidates during their Sarasota visits. Jolly proposed a 10-year plan to increase public school investment, including raising teacher pay by 30%, according to candidate records. At his Sarasota rally, he told reporters he would fund the plan partly through the state's tourist development tax.

Donalds supports school choice, an expansion of private school vouchers and early literacy programs, the Alligator reported. He also supports Amendment 3, which would increase the homestead property tax exemption.

Data centers have become a flashpoint. Jolly has promised an immediate one-year moratorium on data centers if elected. Donalds has said he supports data center development but that data centers should pay their own utility costs, the Alligator reported. Neighboring Manatee County is among several Florida counties that have temporarily banned large-scale data centers, Axios reported.

Other candidates

Eight additional qualified tickets appear on the ballot, according to the Florida Division of Elections. They include Scott Jewett of the Libertarian Party, who said fixing homeowners insurance is his top priority, and Charles Burkett, a former Surfside mayor running with no party affiliation. Detailed policy positions for the remaining candidates were not available.

Results will be posted on the Florida Department of State's election results page. Gov. DeSantis leaves office Jan. 5, 2027.