Former state Senator Nancy Detert died peacefully in her home on Wednesday, according to a statement released by Sarasota County and its Board of County Commissioners. Detert was vice chair of the commission and had served in many public roles.
A moderate Republican, Detert was elected to the Sarasota County Commission in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. She had served 8 years in the Florida Senate and 8 in the Florida House of Representatives. She had three sons -- Mark, Bryan and Jamie -- and nine grandchildren. Detert’s bio on the Sarasota County website notes that she has, quote, “passed many bills but is most proud of passing a bill that extends foster care from age 18 to 21. The Senate president named it the “Nancy Detert Caring and Compassionate Act.”
