Jesse Scheckner
Palm Beach County Mayor Maria Sachs won re-election Tuesday to the County Commission, where she’ll be joined by two new members, both fellow Democrats: Joel Flores and Bobby Powell.
With early and mail-in votes fully counted and all precincts reporting, Sachs defeated Republican John Fischer with nearly 55.5% of the vote to hold onto her District 5 seat. Flores took 54.6% of the vote to supplant Republican Commissioner Michael Barnett in District 3, while Powell trounced Republican Leonard Serratore with almost 70% of the vote for District 7.
Palm Beach County Commissioners serve four-year terms and are limited to two consecutive terms. They are elected from single-member districts and serve in staggered terms, with odd and even seats alternatingly up for grabs every other year.
District 3
Barnett, a 47-year-old personal injury lawyer, ran to keep the seat Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed him to last year after its prior occupant, Dave Kerner, left to lead the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. He vowed, if re-elected, to back affordable housing development and address homelessness in District 3.
Flores, a 42-year-old who served as Mayor of Greenacres from 2017 to 2024, agreed with Barnett that high housing costs need to be addressed, favoring use of county bonding to help solve the problem. Reducing traffic congestion and improving his district’s infrastructure were also high on his to-do list.
A U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan before returning stateside for a career in wealth management, Flores raised $458,000 between his campaign account and political committee through Oct. 31 and had most of it — $307,000 — left less than a week before Election Day.
Barnett raised slightly more, $461,000, but was far more active in spending, leaving himself with $66,000 between his campaign account and political committee heading into November.
Polling after the Aug. 20 Primary showed Flores with a significant lead over the incumbent (45% to 30%).
A past Chair of the Palm Beach County Republican Party, Barnett notched key endorsements from ex-President Donald Trump, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, and Greenacres Council members Judy Dugo and Peter Noble, among others. Several first responder unions and the Hispanic Vote of Palm Beach County PAC also threw their support behind his election bid.
Flores carried support from, among others, U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel; state Reps. David Silvers and Katherine Waldron; Palm Beach School Board members Alexandria Ayala and Erica Whitfield; Greenacres Mayor Chuck Shaw; and City Council members Paula Bousquet and Susy Diaz. Several advocacy groups, including the Florida Fraternal Order of Police, Latino Victory Fund, the Palm Beach Classroom Teachers Association and SEIU Florida, also backed him.
District 3 covers an inland portion of Palm Beach County between Florida’s Turnpike and Interstate 95 and from part of Southern Boulevard to Hypoluxo Road. The district consists of Cloud Lake, Greenacres, Glen Ridge, Lake Clarke Shores, Lake Worth Beach, Palm Springs and some unincorporated neighborhoods.
District 5
Sachs, who was elected Mayor by the County Commission last November, three years after joining the seven-member panel. She previously served for a decade in the Legislature, six years in the Senate, four years in the House.
She ran this year on a platform prioritizing accommodations for seniors, improving traffic and infrastructure, and safeguarding the 22,000-acre Agricultural Reserve from commercial development. Managing the county’s growth while ensuring residents have access to essential services was also atop her list.
Through late October, the 75-year-old raised $239,000 and spent $147,000 through her campaign account.
Her 62-year-old challenger, Fischer, raised $61,000 and spent close to $57,000. He is a former county firefighter, having retired at the rank of captain.
Fischer ran on a promise to improve public safety, make Palm Beach government more accessible and accountable, and reduce the county’s “bloated and still growing” budget while still providing residents with vital services.
Groups endorsing him included the Conservative Club of Valencia Reserve, Christian Family Coalition, Republican Assembly Palm Beach County and Republican Liberty Caucus Palm Beach.
Sachs enjoyed support from the Sierra Club, Palm Beach-Treasure Coast AFL-CIO, Palm Beach County Human Rights Council Voters Alliance and local Police Benevolent Association, International Association of Fire Fighters and Fraternal Order of Police chapters.
District 5 spans a large, inland portion of Palm Beach County west of Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Raton.
District 7
The race to succeed District 7 Commissioner Mack Bernard, who in June coasted into the seat representing Senate District 24 without opposition, was technically a four-way contest. But only two candidates — Powell, SD 24’s current representative, and Serratore, a retired airport manager — really had a chance.
Like others seeking Commission seats this cycle, Powell said would focus on affordability issues if elected. He also promised to work on addressing homelessness, expanding health care access and protecting the environment.
Government spending and corruption were top-of-mind for Serratore, a U.S. Army veteran and former airport fire chief who listed his service as President of a local firefighters’ union and membership to the National Rifle Association as key biographical details on his campaign website.
In 2022, Serratore ran unsuccessful campaigns for Congress and the Florida House.
Powell, 43, was a fundraising goliath in the District 7 race, stacking more than $423,000 between his campaign account and political committee, Friends of Bobby Powell.
He spent all but $53,000 of it by the end of October. Most of it went toward defeating fellow Democrat Richard Ryles in the Primary. (Powell won with 66% of the vote.)
Serratore, 69, raised a comparatively paltry $7,400. All but $125 came from his bank account. He had $342 remaining less than a week before Election Day.
Fleurena and Taylor reported no campaign finance activity and didn’t appear on the ballot.
District 7 includes all or part of Briny Breezes, Delray Beach, Gulf Stream, Hypoluxo, Lantana, Mangonia Park, Palm Beach, Palm Beach Shores, Riviera Beach and West Palm Beach.
