Cathleen Ward, Christy Fox repel a challenger each, win re-election in West Palm Beach

West Palm Beach voters opted for continuity Tuesday, re-electing Commissioners Cathleen Ward and Christy Fox, who faced one opponent each.

For the seat representing District 1 — which spans the city’s northeast portion encompassing the Northboro Park Historic District, Northshore, Northwood Hills and Pleasant City neighborhoods — incumbent Ward repelled a challenge from Martina Tate Walker with 77% of the vote.

In District 3, which covers a center-east part of West Palm Beach that surrounds Clear Lake and includes downtown and Roosevelt Estates, Fox bested Roger Lee Jackson with a 68% share of ballots cast.

Both winners earned four-year terms on the five-seat panel.

District 1

Ward, a 36-year-old lawyer who switched from Republican to Democrat in 2020, sought a third term in the seat she won in 2022 after previously serving on the city’s Planning Board and several local nonprofit Boards.

She vowed, if re-elected, to work on further strengthening West Palm Beach through safer streets, more affordable housing and support for local businesses while using her legal background and community leadership experience to guide policy.

Tate Walker, a 77-year-old Democrat and former government worker, mounted her sixth run at the City Commission and her third competing against Ward this year.

An ordained minister, Tate Walker told Stet News that, with a victory Tuesday, she would focus on helping homeless residents, expand community service and improve access to city services while urging the City Commission to engage residents more directly by meeting with them in their neighborhoods.

District 3

Fox, a 52-year-old marketing pro and public relations executive, ran this year for her fourth consecutive term in the seat she won in 2020. In 2022, her peers elected her Commission President.

During her tenure on the dais, she helped launch the city’s “Adopt-A-Block” initiative to improve safety and neighborhood pride in the Historic Northwest District and received the Grow Lit Project’s “Champion of Change” award in 2023.

With another term at City Hall, she said she’d work to guide smart, inclusive growth that expands opportunities for residents.

Jackson, a fellow Democrat, is an Army veteran, auto shop owner and grant manager who also leads the Night Runners WPB nonprofit that hosts free weekly runs and walks in the community.

He ran on a platform that focused on making residents feel “safe, seen and supported.” As a Commissioner, he said, he would expand residents’ access to legal services, support local businesses and veterans, protect neighborhoods and advance LGBTQIA+ visibility in the city.