Ferrandino moved to Sarasota , Florida in 2004 after living most of her career in the Northeast . 404 She was elected chair of the Sarasota County Democratic Party prior to the start of the hotly contested 2008 presidential election . In 2008 Ferrandino served as a delegate to the Democratic national convention in Denver , Colorado , where she appeared among the delegates interviewed for a New York Times video series . Since 2011 she appeared as a guest on Florida This Week , a public affairs program airing on WEDU , the PBS affiliate in Tampa , Florida .404 In 2010 Ferrandino wrote a guest column in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune . She has been noted in several publications , including a Sarasota Herald-Tribune article , “ Eight to Watch in 2008 , ” an April 2009 SRQ Magazine cover story entitled “ Fighting Nice , ” 404 and a 2008 Sarasota Herald-Tribune story , “ Leading A Party Toward Renewal . ” In 2012 she served as a delegate to the Democratic national convention and as one of Florida 's 29 electors . In December 2012 , Ferrandino was re-elected to a two-year term as the chair of the Democratic party for the county . During her service to the Democratic Party in a swing county in a swing state , Ferrandino hosted Democratic officials and key influencers such as Bill Clinton , Michelle & Barack Obama , Joseph Biden , Steny Hoyer , Debbie Wasserman Schultz , Barney Frank , Julian Bond , Congressman Lewis , and many other
Democratic national convention
2008 Democratic National Convention
Rita Ferrandino