Jesse Scheckner
With longtime Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg departing to begin a “new chapter in life,” voters have three capable candidates from which to choose as his replacement.
Democrat Alexcia Cox, Republican Sam Stern and independent Adam Farkas are vying to become the county’s first new State Attorney in 12 years.
The winner will earn a salary of $219,000 and command an office of 115 prosecutors and 180 support personnel tasked with delivering justice in Florida’s fourth-most populous county.
None of the candidates has held elected public office before.
Alexcia Cox
Cox, 45, today works as a Deputy Chief Assistant State Attorney in the Palm Beach State Attorney’s Office (SAO), where she oversees its conviction review, domestic violence and county courts units, as well as its North and South satellite offices.
She’s been with the SAO for 18 years, joining almost immediately after passing the bar exam. During her time there, she handled cases of all types, ranging from misdemeanors to capital murder.
A win this year would make Cox the first woman and Black person to serve as Palm Beach State Attorney.
If elected, she said she wants to do more to take on violent and career criminals while establishing a dedicated unit to focus on hate crimes. Cox also plans to create an elder crimes unit with dedicated prosecutors focused on cybercriminals. To improve prosecutor retention, a persistent problem for SAO’s across the state, she said she intends to establish housing incentives, health and wellness initiatives and seek higher wages from the state.
“As Deputy Chief Assistant, I have taken on complex legal issues, served in executive leadership positions, and have focused on tough cases to keep Palm beach County safe,” she said. “Families deserve the right to live safely in their neighborhoods and as the next State Attorney I am ready to get to work to uphold the mission of our office and build on the great work and progress achieved by our strong State Attorney, Dave Aronberg.”
Through Oct. 26, Cox raised $765,000 and spent $437,363 through her campaign account and political committee, Friends of Alexcia Cox. About a fifth of the donations she took came from fellow lawyers. Her largest gain, a $200,000 check, came from Jonathan Pollock, co-CEO of the Elliott Management hedge fund that relocated its headquarters from New York to West Palm Beach in 2020.
Cox carries endorsements from more than 75 current and former elected officials, including Aronberg, four Democratic U.S. Representatives, Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, Palm Beach Clerk Joseph Abruzzo, Broward County State Attorney Harold Pryor and more than a dozen advocacy organizations, including the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association, Florida Fraternal Order of Police and Palm Beach-Treasure Coast AFL-CIO.
In the Aug. 20 Primary, Cox defeated fellow Democrats Gregg Lerman and Craig Williams — the latter a Chief Assistant State Attorney who outranked her — with 64% of the vote.
Sam Stern
Both Lerman and Williams have since endorsed Stern, a former federal and Palm Beach County prosecutor who leads in fundraising with nearly $1.59 million collected between his campaign account and political committee, Stern PC, of which he spent $1.3 million. He also loaned his campaign $175,000.
Like Cox, Stern enjoyed ample support from members of the legal profession. His largest contribution was a $250,000 check from Palm Beach billionaire Thomas Peterffy, founder and Chair of Connecticut-headquartered Interactive Brokers.
Peterffy’s contribution, combined with others from fellow Donald Trump allies John Paulson and Steve Wynn, helped fund attack ads against Cox and Farkas. Stern has denied any affiliation to Trump, who in 2021 pardoned a client of his.
Stern, 43, is a partner at Stern Kilcullen & Rufolo LLC, a law firm with offices in New Jersey and Palm Beach Gardens. He previously worked as a federal and Palm Beach County prosecutor under both Democratic and Republican administrations.
If elected, Stern plans to establish a task force to prosecute felons caught committing gun crimes and protect seniors from fraud and financial crimes. He also wants to hire more attorneys and keep the SAO “free of any outside influence and without fear or favor.”
“This is where my wife and I are raising our two boys, and it is where our parents call home. I want to use my experience to keep our community safe,” Stern said. “Palm Beach County needs a State Attorney who knows that law and order allows our community to prosper. We deserve a State Attorney who seeks justice for victims and who will fight to put criminals behind bars.”
Those who believe that having a knack for certain professions is hereditary may lean more toward Stern in the race; his father, Herbert, is a broadly respected former New Jersey prosecutor and federal Judge who later succeeded in private practice as a white-collar criminal defense lawyer.
In the Primary, Stern defeated a lone opponent, Forrest Freedman, with 63% of the vote.
He has also won endorsements from Republican state Reps. Mike Caruso, Peggy Gossett-Seidman and Rick Roth, and Palm Beach County Commissioner Sara Baxter.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel also endorsed Stern. The Palm Beach Post is backing Cox.
Adam Farkas
Both outlets viewed Farkas favorably, with the Sun-Sentinel agreeing with him that the State Attorney should be nonpartisan.
Farkas, 40, is a partner at Farkas & Crowley, a law firm specializing in criminal defense, personal injury and family law that he opened with his wife in 2011. He previously worked as a Palm Beach County prosecutor, albeit for less than a year.
He said his lack of political affiliation is an asset in the race, noting “lackluster” fundraising by Florida Democrats, “existential flaws” among Republicans and “unprecedented dissatisfaction” with Trump and President Joe Biden.
If elected, Farkas promised to look into and address racial disparities in sentencing, reduce incarcerations by ending the jailing of minors who violate probation and expanding treatment and pretrial diversion programs.
Through late October, Farkas raised more than $99,000 and spent about $77,000 through his campaign account and political committee, Impartial Justice. That includes $26,000 worth of self-loans.
Democratic voters outnumber Republicans in Palm Beach by about 5 percentage points, according to Florida’s most recent tally, though the county went red for Gov. Ron DeSantis two years ago.
An internal poll Cox’s campaign conducted in late August found she held a 16-point lead over Stern, her closest competitor in the race.
The General Election is on Nov. 5.
