Brill takes over as Sarasota's acting GOP chief

Longboat Key resident Jack Brill, the new acting chairman for the Republican Party of Sarasota, said his goal is simple; he wants more younger people to vote.

“Our base is pretty loyal,” said Brill, who took over the local role for Joe Gruters, the new chairman of the Florida Republican Party and a member of the Florida Senate.

“Sarasota County is the number one county in the state when it comes to people using absentee ballots,” he said.  “But 25% of all Republicans who voted in 2018 were 65 and older. We need to get younger.”

Brill, 57, has been involved in politics since he was 17 and living in Rochester, N.Y.  He's remained active in politics through college and when he moved to Longboat in 2004.

“I grew up around politics,” he said.

In his new position, Brill will be responsible for running all aspects of the Republican Party of Sarasota County. Brill was vice chairman of the county GOP for three years; its finance chairman for four years and president of the Sarasota Republican Club for three years.

Brill, the father of two grown children, said his priorities for 2020 include the re-election of Donald Trump, as well as defeating state Rep. Margaret Good, a Democrat, in District 72. Good already faces two Republican challengers, Donna Barcomb, a member of the Sarasota County Charter Review Board and Erik Arroyo, a Sarasota lawyer.

The other campaign that he plans to focus on is the re-election of Michael Moran to the Sarasota County Commission in 2020.

“I want to make sure all of our candidates are re-elected,” Brill said.

Brill is vice president of Metz Culinary Management, a national food-service management company.