Sarasota GOP names Glenn Youngkin, Joe Gruters as Statesmen of the Year

The Republican Party of Sarasota County has named former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters as its 2026 Statesmen of the Year, an unusual move that honors two recipients in the same year.

Party leaders announced the awards Thursday, saying the two Republican figures will be recognized during the group’s annual Statesman Awards Dinner on May 11 in Sarasota.

“We are thrilled to honor our two Statesmen award winners this year,” Sarasota GOP Chair Jack Brill said in a statement. “Gov. Youngkin showed how to win and govern in a purple state and earned respect and praise from across the country. And Chairman Gruters is the trailblazer who launched the original Statesman Award in 2010 and now heads up the GOP nationally. Both men have fought for conservative American values, and we are honored to be able to celebrate both of them.”

The Statesman Award, first presented in 2009, has previously gone to prominent conservative figures including President Donald Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, according to the party.

Youngkin, who served as Virginia’s Governor from 2022 to January 2026, rose to national prominence after winning the governorship in a politically competitive state. Before entering politics, he built a career in private equity with the Carlyle Group.

Gruters, an outgoing Sarasota Republican who represents Senate District 22, currently serves as Chair of the Republican National Committee. He previously chaired the Republican Party of Florida and was a longtime leader of the Sarasota County Republican Party.

The event will also feature additional recognitions for local and regional political figures.

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, who represents Florida’s 16th Congressional District, will receive the Republican Lifetime Achievement Award as he prepares to retire after two decades in Congress. Party officials said Buchanan has seen 51 legislative initiatives signed into law under four different presidents.

The event will also honor longtime Sarasota County Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller Karen Rushing with the Sarasota Republican of the Year Award. Rushing is the first woman elected to the position in Sarasota County and is the longest-serving Clerk and Comptroller in Florida, at 39 years.

The awards dinner is scheduled for May 11 at The Ora at 578 McIntosh Rd, Sarasota. Doors open at 5 p.m., with a VIP reception scheduled for 6:45 p.m. before the dinner program.