Business owners threatened with loss of patronage over campaign sign

A business on Siesta Key removed a campaign sign for Sarasota County Commission candidate Lourdes Ramirez after receiving complaints.

The owners of a business in the Key Corners shops, who requested not to be named, asked their building manager last week for permission to post a large campaign sign outside for Ramirez, who is running for the District 4 County Commission seat. The manager agreed.

On Thursday, three days later, the building manager contacted the owners again saying he had received four complaints about the campaign sign, according to Ramirez.

A man had contacted the building manager and said he would boycott the business, Ramirez said.

The business owners took down the sign. 

After the incident, Ramirez said she received calls from other supporters who had received similar complaints about her campaign signs.

“Politics can get very dirty,” she said.

The Republican candidate’s identity was stolen when she filed to run in 2012. Former Sarasota GOP Chairman Bob Waechter gave a donation under her name to the Democratic candidate’s campaign.