Ryan Nicol
Florida residents will cast their vote Tuesday in the state’s presidential primaries. But several local races and ballot initiatives are also on the slate in South Florida.
South Florida is one of the biggest hotbeds in the state in terms of positive tests for the new coronavirus. That could affect the election in different ways. But for those intent on casting their ballot, here are other elections up for grabs.
Across the tri-county area, the vast majority of local races on the ballot Tuesday are in Palm Beach County, with around three dozen municipalities having at least one local race or measure on the ballot.
Broward has no contests scheduled. Only Surfside in Miami-Dade County will conduct its general election, where positions for Mayor and the Town Commission will be up for grabs.
In Palm Beach County, Boca Raton residents will vote on whether to retain Scott Singer as Mayor. Singer was first elected to the Boca Raton City Council in 2014 before securing reelection in 2017. In 2018, Singer won the mayoral job.
Singer is competing against real estate broker Bernard Korn, who also maintains a website promoting his run to be the Democratic nominee for President.
Several cities will also be holding Commission contests Tuesday. In Delray Beach, a pair of Commission members are up for reelection amid a contentious battle between the Mayor and Commission.
Mayor Shelly Petrolia is pushing for incumbents Bill Bathurst and Shirley Johnson to be ousted in Tuesday’s election.
Bathurst, a real estate agent who represents District 2, is battling against a trio of challengers. Juli Casale is a businesswoman and activist. Jennifer Jones is a local business owner. Debra Tendrich serves as the CEO of the nonprofit Eat Better Live Better.
Johnson is a retired contract analyst for IBM who serves District 4. Public school teacher Angela Burns and real estate broker Christopher Davey are challenging Johnson.
Petrolia has endorsed Casale in District 2 and Davey in District 4.
In Boynton Beach, Commission seats II and IV are on the ballot.
District IV Commissioner Ty Penserga is attempting to defend his seat, which he took over from now-state Rep. Joe Casello.
Tech CEO Rick Maharajh is once again competing against Penserga. The two battled in last year’s contest, with Penserga coming out on top. Former City Commissioner David Katz is also running for the seat this year.
The District II contest is open. Former Mayor Woodrow Hay is running against activist Bernard Wright.
One seat each is up on the Councils in Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens.
In Jupiter, District 1 Council member Wayne Posner is defending his seat against 32-year-old firefighter Cameron May. And in Palm Beach Gardens, businesswoman Chelsea Reed is seeking to unseat Matthew Lane in the Seat 3 contest.
Voters in West Palm Beach will also decide on a ballot initiative setting up a 20-year bond “not exceeding” $30 million. That bond will target improvements for 17 of the city’s parks, fields and community centers.
The money will be used for “renovating parks and recreational facilities including playgrounds, safety features, upgraded efficient lighting, park trails, sports courts, athletic fields, community centers and improved accessibility to amenities.”
The coronavirus pandemic is affecting the location of polling places and the availability of polling workers. For the latest information, check the county’s website. You can also search whether your city or town has any contests scheduled for Tuesday.
