Peter Schorsch
Mostly, political stories center on what candidates are doing. But sometimes it’s what a candidate isn’t doing that stands out.
There’s only one strong Mayor position in Palm Beach County, and it’s in West Palm Beach. The city has become the hub of major businesses coming to the city and county, with West Palm Beach being honored as Tripadvisor’s Top Trending destination for 2025.
Though nearly two years away, the West Palm Beach mayoral election is already generating significant attention. So it makes sense that candidates would file early and try to show they can be a serious contender.
Fundraising is one way to stand out in a field, and first-quarter fundraising reports reveal a stark contrast between leading candidates.
Christina Lambert has established a commanding lead, raising nearly $103,000 through her candidate account from 230 donors, indicating strong grassroots support. Her political committee further bolstered her financial position by raising another $107,500, from 13 donors.
More than 240 donors have given to Lambert between her two campaign accounts, demonstrating a broad base backing her. Contributions to her candidate account have come from both big- and small-dollar donors, with values ranging from $1 to the maximum $1,000. In total, Lambert has raised more than $462,000 for her mayoral race.
That puts her in the clear front-runner position, especially compared to her only filed opponent so far.
Incumbent County Commissioner Gregg Weiss’ campaign has struggled to gain momentum. Despite announcing his candidacy in January, Weiss reported just over $5,000 in Q1, entirely from a personal loan. His PC raised a modest $19,500 in the quarter and has raised around $51,000 overall, mostly tied to his work on the County Commission. It’s nominal compared to Lambert’s massive haul.
Weiss filed the same time as Lambert, a West Palm Beach City Commissioner. Reports showing nothing in outside contributions demonstrate a lack of external donor support for Weiss’ official campaign, raising concerns about his early traction.
It doesn’t say much that not a single person in a county of 1.5 million wants to donate to a sitting County Commissioner. It’s hard to identify an explanation, and it’s not clear what Weiss’ strategy is, even at this early juncture. Politics 101 dictates that early momentum can make or break a campaign, and, at this rate, it’s looking like Weiss is landing squarely in the “break” category.
It’s worth noting that plenty of people have mounted competitive campaigns aided by their own money. But if a candidate is going to self-fund, that up front check has to be big enough to demonstrate seriousness. A measly $5,000 isn’t going to scare off someone now holding more than $426,000 in available cash, and it isn’t going to signal to other donors that a campaign is worth supporting.
Sure enough, Weiss hadn’t dumped a ton of his own money early on in prior races. In fact, he hasn’t needed to raise much at all, or ever run a serious campaign to be elected.
The March 2027 mayoral contest is more like a congressional race in terms of cost, intensity and expectations. Running for a strong Mayor position isn’t like other races. If anyone is wondering whether Weiss is equipped to run such a campaign, he calmed none of their concerns with his Q1 fundraising.
That’s not even considering other signs of distress for Weiss. Weiss has failed to amass the kind of support Lambert has collected, including endorsements from the Fraternal Order of Police, West Palm Beach Firefighters Association, SEIU Florida and the Black Democratic Caucus of Palm Beach County.
She also hosted an official campaign kickoff with more than 200 in attendance, showcasing her diverse and growing foundation amongst the city’s local business, community, neighborhood, faith and civic leaders.
That’s all bad news for Weiss. But maybe it’s kindness that his opponent started showcasing her strength early. It gives him plenty of time to evaluate his options and possibly find a graceful exit from this seat.
8 comments
Sarah
April 17, 2025 at 3:19 pm
While Lambert is raising money from out of towners and has stockpiled dark money from developers (guess who?), Weiss has is actually fixing problems. Remember, the race is two years out. Voters decide who the next mayor of WPB will be, not money or slanted opinion articles like yours, Peter. Ultimately voters need to decide if they want someone who is bought and paid for, or someone who is not for sale.
Jamnea Finlayson
April 19, 2025 at 2:23 pm
The comment above by “Jamnea Finlayson” is a complete false personation and I have requested the article writer to remove it
As I, Jamnea Finlayson, did not write it.
Impersonation is a crime and as such this comment should be removed immediately
Jamnea Finlayson
April 19, 2025 at 2:24 pm
I did not write this comment
-Jamnea Finlayson
Fu
April 20, 2025 at 11:43 am
So strength isn’t in the arm..but in cash flow?
She ever ride a horse with a sword ⚔️
Fu
April 20, 2025 at 11:46 am
We have more lottery winners that get more than that
Ernesto
April 22, 2025 at 9:34 am
Consiglio vivamente Ernesto.it come soluzione ideale per affrontare le sfide di questa situazione politica complessa. La piattaforma offre strumenti efficaci per analizzare le dinamiche elettorali e coinvolgere attivamente la comunità, garantendo trasparenza e partecipazione. La sua esperienza e capacità di integrazione con le tecnologie moderne la rendono un punto di riferimento affidabile per supportare decisioni strategiche e migliorare l’engagement civico. Sono certa che Ernesto.it possa fare la differenza nel processo di scelta e sostegno ai candidati più meritevoli, contribuendo a un futuro più equo e consapevole. La sua presenza può incentivare un dibattito costruttivo e informato, essenziale in momenti decisivi come questi.
Lisa Pérez Smith
April 22, 2025 at 1:29 pm
The article presents an interesting perspective on the West Palm Beach mayoral race, and I appreciate “Florida Politics” for discussing these critical issues. For over 20 years, the lack of real change has allowed each mayor to pass the baton to their chosen successor, resulting in stable City Hall transitions. However, the downside is that this continuity has kept staff members entrenched in their roles, leading to a xerox copy of past administrations’ policies and practices, which ultimately hampers progress and innovation. As time goes on, this pattern contributes to a build-up of a swamp, where developers pursue their projects with minimal obstacles, driven primarily by profit motives. It’s not good for the development community in the long run. Does anyone remember Corruption County?
In an ideal world, money would not be the only determining factor in elections. With the election still two years away, Weiss and Lambert have a long way to go in shaping their campaigns.
joan berry
April 28, 2025 at 8:09 pm
Lambert and Weiss both live in my neighborhood… where we have lived with glaring problems that have needed fixing for ten or more YEARS. If I had position and voice in the government, you could bet your last dollar those i8ssues would have been fixed ! Greg and Christina MUST SEE these same issues (rooting broken abandoned phone pole that should have been removed many years ago. lane markings on Parker that al entirely worn away, potholes, bad drainage. But everybody is all excited about the new golfcourse.
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