Jesse Scheckner
The House District 90 race is culminating far sooner than originally expected due to the recent death of Rep. Joe Casello, and every state-level elected Democrat in Palm Beach County is backing Delray Beach Commissioner Rob Long for the job.
Long, who filed to run for HD 90 in February with an endorsement from Casello and eight other Palm Beach County Democrats, is refiling to run in a newly called Special Election for Casello’s seat.
The remaining members of the Democratic legislative delegation of Palm Beach County — Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman, Sens. Mack Bernard and Tina Polsky, and Reps. Tae Edmonds, Kelly Skidmore and Debra Tendrich — wasted no time reconfirming their support.
Long also carries endorsements from former State Attorney Dave Aronberg, SEIU Florida, the Palm Beach County Fraternal Order of Police and Palm Beach County Human Rights Council.
“I’m proud to carry forward Joe Casello’s legacy of principled leadership, compassion for working families, and relentless advocacy for the people of this district,” Long said in a statement.
“We need steady, experienced leadership in Tallahassee, and that’s exactly what I’ll bring to the table.”
The race for HD 90 was originally set to coincide with the 2026 elections, but Casello’s unexpected death last week prompted Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday to call a Special Election for the seat, with a Primary on Sept. 30 followed by a General Election on Dec. 9.
Casello named Long as his preferred successor earlier this year, calling him “a dedicated leader in our community (whose) experience, vision, and deep understanding of the issues make him the right person to represent District 90.”
Long’s campaign has since reported raising more than $70,000, much of it from the real estate industry.
So far, he remains the only candidate running for HD 90, which spans a coastal portion of Palm Beach County, including Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and part of Highland Beach.
The district leans Democratic. Fifty-five percent of voters there supported Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in November — roughly the same share that backed Casello for re-election.
Long, who has served on the Delray Beach Commission since 2023, has lived in the city for more than a decade. He has an educational background in civil engineering and business administration and holds several day jobs in addition to his work at City Hall.
