Re-elect — Sarasota County Public Hospital Board
Keep it public.
Keep it excellent.
Brad Baker is the incumbent Treasurer of the board that oversees Sarasota Memorial — ranked among America’s best hospitals, with straight-A patient safety and a five-star federal rating no other Florida hospital has matched for a decade. He answers to you. Not shareholders. Not special interests. You. On August 18, keep the watchdog on duty.
Watch
Hear it from Brad.
Short videos on his experience, his independence, and why Sarasota Memorial must stay public.
Brad on why he serves and what's at stake for Sarasota Memorial.
The federal financial oversight experience Brad brings to the board.
The only independent director with zero conflicts — working for you.
Bringing the same financial scrutiny that served presidents and governors.
Keeping Sarasota Memorial public and free from corporate takeover.
Why Brad serves on the board without pay, and what the hospital means to him.
Where your hospital tax dollars go — and Brad's independent oversight of them.
Endorsed by The Observer
“Baker, a longtime, successful Sarasota entrepreneur with operational and finance experience, has performed well and serves an important role as an independent board member. It is good corporate governance to have out-of-the-industry directors. Baker serves that role well. We recommend: Brad Baker.”
— Matt Walsh, The Observer — July 29, 2026
Read the full endorsement →Public stewardship, measured
A record voters can examine.
Public service should be judged by results, independence, and transparent evidence.
A
Straight-A patient safety, both campuses
Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade
113%
Employee pension funded
FY2025 audited financial statements
305
Days cash on hand
FY2025 audited financial statements
$0
Paid to shareholders. Ever.
Sarasota Memorial is a public hospital
Public ownership
Your hospital is not for sale.
In 2013, this board formally studied whether selling Sarasota Memorial would benefit taxpayers. The answer was a unanimous no. New state legislation now opens the door for private-equity buyers of community hospitals. Brad Baker’s answer hasn’t changed: not for sale. Not now. Not ever. When investors buy a community hospital, the community stops being the customer — and starts being the product.
Read the 2013 determination →
Independent oversight
An independent watchdog — with zero financial ties.
I am not a current employee receiving a salary from SMH. I am not a former employee receiving a pension from SMH. I receive no PAC funding. I serve only the citizens of Sarasota County.
A board should be independent of the management it oversees — never a rubber stamp. Brad’s only loyalty is to the voters who elected him.
- No Sarasota Memorial salary
- No Sarasota Memorial pension
- No PAC funding
Hospital executives are paid millions. Investors demand billions. Brad Baker asks for one thing — your vote — and serves for free.
Hometown
Sarasota built him. Now he guards what Sarasota built.
As a Pine View student, Brad interned at Sarasota Memorial — a month in every department, from admissions to surgery. He went on to found the first company ever taken public in Sarasota County, serve two presidents at the U.S. Treasury, and clean up Florida’s housing agency for Governor Jeb Bush. Today the kid who learned this hospital from the inside safeguards its books as Treasurer of its board.
Meet Brad →Public service
A lifetime of responsibility.
Pine View student
Interned across departments at Sarasota Memorial.
1988
Selected for a White House Fellowship appointment.
Sarasota business leadership
Founded the first company taken public in Sarasota County.
Public financial service
Served at the U.S. Treasury and later helped oversee Florida's housing agency.
Today
Serves as Treasurer of the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board.
Election information
Mark your calendar.
Election Day
Tuesday,
August 18, 2026
Early Voting: August 8–16
2026 Election
Sarasota Memorial Hospital Board — 2026 Election
Brad Baker is a candidate for re-election to the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board (Sarasota Memorial Hospital Board), Northern District Seat 1, in the August 18, 2026 primary — open to all Sarasota County voters. Early voting runs August 8–16.
Keep it public. Keep it excellent.
The ER you hope you never need. The maternity ward where your grandchildren will be born. The hospital that answers when your family calls 911. That’s what’s on your ballot August 18.