One of the area’s top political experts has entered the political fray himself. Frank Alcock, a professor at New College of Florida, announced on Monday he would run as a Democrat for state Senate in District 23. 

Alcock, a regular commentator in the media about the state of local races, walks into the contest with eyes open about his general election chances. The district includes all of Sarasota County, still a slightly Republican county, but also includes much of deep red Charlotte County. “The demographics are tough,” he says. “It’s a big hill that needs to be climbed. I’m late and there is not a lot of time. I’m not naive about what the odds are.” But he wants a civil discourse, something sorely lacking in Tallahassee today by his reckoning, and he wants to ensure all voters, not just those in the Republican primary, get a chance to engage with candidates.

The most attention on the race so far has been on the Republican primary, where a crowded field of experienced professionals will duke it out in August. That field includes state Reps. Ray Pilon and Greg Steube, former state Rep. Doug Holder, former Sarasota County Commissioner Nora Patterson and Potomac Financial President and CEO Rick Levine. Alcock expects his chances improve if a more conservative candidate wins that primary, though he declined to comment on who he viewed as the most and least conservative in that field. Regarding timing, Alcock said he pondered running for more than a year. In that time, he ruled out running for Supervisor of Elections, and also made sure New College colleague and former Democratic state Rep. Keith Fitzgerald wasn’t going to enter the field.

But for now, Alcock will be in a Democratic primary. Frank Cirillo, a recent Economic and Political Science graduate of the University of South Florida who just moved back to Sarasota, also has filed for the seat. Cirillo welcomed Alcock into the race. “I think it’s great to have a primary opponent,” he said. “We can sharpen our debate skills and hone our message for the general election.” Cirillo will run on on environmental issues like banning fracking.

The primary election is scheduled for August 30. Winners of the party primaries will face off in the general election, scheduled for November 8.