Jen Ahearn-Koch and Flo Entler finished first and second respectively in the primary.
They now advance to the general election and face a third candidate, John Harshman, in the race for the top open seats.
Jen Ahearn-Koch
Jen’s connection to Sarasota goes back to 1970, when her parents bought a home here. She graduated from a local high school, and in 1996 moved back for good, returning with her husband and their two-year-old son. This is her city. That’s not a talking point.
Before she was your commissioner, Jen was your neighbor. She became President of the Tahiti Park Neighborhood Association, then represented her neighborhood on the Coalition of City Neighborhood Associations. She spent six years on the City’s Planning Board — learning exactly how development decisions get made and where residents get cut out. That’s not background. That’s why she ran.
Before entering public life, she was Art Director at the Asolo Theatre, then founded JAK Consults in 2002 — a marketing firm she still runs today. She understands how institutions make decisions — and where residents get left out.
First elected in 2017. Served as Mayor in 2019-2020. Now in her second term — and still fighting the same fights she ran on.
Flo Entler
Flo Entler, a 37-year Sarasota resident and small business owner, has spent nearly a decade leading on city issues. Born in the Bronx and raised on Long Island, she was the first in her family to earn a college degree, graduating from SUNY Cortland with a B.A. in Speech Pathology and Audiology.
Professionally, Flo has worked in bookkeeping, law office administration, advertising sales, and human resources, giving her a practical grasp of budgets, contracts, and operations.
She now owns a local fitness business, where she applies the same discipline she brings to training marathoners—she’s a long-distance runner, triathlete, and four-time Boston Marathon finisher—to public service.
For nearly ten years, Flo has been one of City Hall’s most persistent citizen advocates, tackling issues like flooding, overdevelopment, traffic, tree protection, and affordable housing.
She has served on the Arlington Park Neighborhood Association board since 2022 and is in her fourth year as its president. She also served as Second Vice President of the Coalition of City Neighborhood Associations.