Heidi Brandt
Brandt is the president of the parent-teacher council at Southside Elementary School and the parent of an elementary-school student in Sarasota County. She finished second in the August 2026 District 1 primary and advanced to the Nov. 3 runoff. She is endorsed by the Republican Party of Sarasota County.
Campaign finance: state and county candidates file with the Florida Division of Elections or the county Supervisor of Elections. Search contributions ↗
Sources last checked 2026-09-18. Report an error ↗
Positions on the major issues
Compare with opponents →Each entry describes what the candidate has said or done, and what they say they will do, in neutral terms with sources. The chip shows how that relates to the statement voters rate in the matching tool.
Taxes & spending Mixed / neutral· stated position
Brandt said she is fiscally conservative and would treat every taxpayer dollar carefully, while also calling for investment in classrooms, teachers and school safety. She did not say cutting taxes should be a priority.
"Every taxpayer dollar should be spent wisely, transparently, and with students at the center of every decision."
Education & school choice Mixed / neutral· stated position
Brandt says she supports the use of vouchers but calls Florida's system broken, favoring a sliding scale tied to family income rather than full scholarships regardless of income.
Teacher and staff pay Mixed / neutral· stated position
Brandt lists supporting and retaining great teachers among her priorities, and her campaign website lists "Employ & Invest in High-Quality Teachers." She framed budgeting broadly around classrooms, teachers and safety and did not say teacher pay should come ahead of other district spending.
"Our priority should be investing in classrooms, supporting great teachers, maintaining safe schools, and ensuring every budget decision reflects our commitment to student success"
School safety approach Leans disagree· stated position
Brandt said she would not have voted for the school board's resolution penalizing student protesters, saying she asked a number of people about it and was told it was pointless, and raising concern that it would be applied unevenly.
"no, it's pointless. So, no, I wouldn't have voted for that."
No public position found on 3 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Property taxes, Gender identity laws, Library and classroom materials. This is reported as unknown rather than guessed from party affiliation; these issues are excluded from this candidate's match score.
Other issues this candidate has raised
- Board resolution on immigration enforcement — Brandt said she opposed the board's resolution on federal immigration enforcement, saying it drew up a lot of fear and was not necessary.
- Keeping politics out of school board decisions — Brandt said the board should focus on student achievement, teacher retention, safe schools and responsible spending, and that political agendas should not drive decisions in classrooms or the boardroom.
- Literacy and academic improvement — Brandt said Sarasota is an A-rated district with third-grade literacy rates near 70 percent but that nearly 30 percent of students still read below grade level, and she would focus on strengthening academics and expanding arts, STEM and career training.
- Parent involvement — Brandt's campaign website lists "Empower Parents" first among her priorities, alongside school safety, workforce training and investing in high-quality teachers.
Endorsements (as reported)
- Florida Sen. Joe Gruters
- Florida Rep. Fiona McFarland
- Tom DeSane, Sarasota Charter Review Board
- Republican Party of Sarasota County