Upcoming Event

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Sarasota Republican Club

Dinner Meeting

 

Thursday, March 19th, 2026

6:00 PM @ Marina Jack

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Guest Speakers:

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Meet The Candidates -

Sarasota County Commission

District 2​

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​Kristina Sargent & Mark Smith​​​​​

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KRISTINA SARGENT:

Kristina Sargent has dedicated much of her life to serving others, first through military service and now through her legal and community work. She honorably served more than 15 years in uniform, completing multiple active-duty tours, including deployments to the Middle East.

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Following her military service and earning her law degree, Sargent served as a prosecutor, first in Baltimore then in Sarasota County, handling violent crimes and capital offense cases. Today, she practices civil defense law, representing Florida companies statewide.

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MARK SMITH:

Mark grew up in Sarasota when his family moved from Detroit, Michigan in 1963. He graduated from Riverview High School in 1973. Mark received both his Masters in Architecture and Bachelor of Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He and his family moved back to Sarasota in 1990. Mark and his wife Esther have four children - Liz, 35, Jackie, 32, John, 31, and Ashley, 29. Mark has been an architect for 39 years and is president of Smith Architects, P.A. located in the Siesta Key Village. 

Mark has been long active in his professional association and in his community. He was President of the Siesta Key Village Association from 2004 to 2009, leading the association through the design and construction of the Siesta Key Village Beautification Project. Mark is currently Chair-Elect of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, on the Siesta Key Presidents Council, and is a past board member of the Siesta Key Association. He is also on the Sarasota County Sheriff's Advisory Board, Past President of the Board of Directors of All Faiths Food Bank, and a past board member of the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, where he received the “Thanks Badge", the highest recognition the National Girl Scouts award a volunteer. Mark served as President of the Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects in 2007. Mark received the 2009 AIA Florida Silver Medal in recognition of his years of leadership and service that has been a direct benefit to the profession and the community.

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