Atkins files to run for County Commission

A second candidate with ties to the Sarasota City Commission has entered the race for the Democratic nomination for Sarasota County Commission, District 2.

Former Mayor Fredd Atkins announced on Thursday his intention to seek the office now held by Republican Christian Ziegler.

City Commissioner Hagen Brody announced his intention in February to run for the seat as well. Siesta Key resident Mike Cosentino and Sarasota lawyer Andrew Bevan have also announced their intention to run.

“Residents in Sarasota expect local leadership to work for them and I have consistently shown that during my time in and out of office,” Atkins said in a released statement. “For years I have worked tirelessly for the betterment of all Sarasotans.”

Atkins ran for the District 1 seat in 2016 and lost to Republican Mike Moran. Atkins won the vote within District 1 but lost the countywide vote to Moran. Following a redrawing of district lines, Atkins’ residence was reset to District 2 in 2020, the election for which was two years away at the time.

Voters on March 8 rejected a referendum that sought to return to countywide commission voting from a system of single-member districts in which electors within a County Commission district can cast a ballot for candidates running for that seat.  That system made its debut in the 2020 election.