Boca Raton voters to pick new Mayor, three City Council members in Tuesday election

Voters in Boca Raton, Palm Beach County’s second-most populous city, are heading to the polls Tuesday to choose a new Mayor and at least two new City Council members.

Altogether, there are four elected posts at stake in the city, which boasts more than 104,000 residents as of the most recent count. There are also two referendums that will determine the future of two big local development projects.

Atop the ticket is a three-way contest to succeed Mayor Scott Singer, who in December launched a campaign for Congress.

The race pits Council members Fran Nachlas and Andy Thomson against political newcomer Mike Liebelson.

Consequently, Nachlas and Thomson’s posts on the Council — Seat A and Seat D, respectively — are up for grabs March 10.

This year’s election comes amid sharp disagreements over the city’s development future, with candidates split between those who argue proposed projects and related initiatives would generate revenue and modernize the city and critics who warn it would amount to a giveaway of public land, worsen traffic and accelerate overdevelopment.

All offices have terms that run for three years, with limits of two consecutive terms. The Mayor and City Council members are elected and serve in an at-large capacity on a nonpartisan basis.

The two ballot questions center on whether the city should issue up to $175 million in bonds to build and equip a new police headquarters and related public safety facilities, and whether the city should approve a 99-year lease of 7.8 acres of city-owned land near the Brightline station to Terra Group-associated Boca Raton City Center LLC, which wants to build a mixed-use development with residential, retail, office and hotel space.

Mayor’s race

Fran Nachlas, a Republican surgical nurse and longtime Boca Raton community leader who now serves as the city’s Deputy Mayor, built a nearly three-decade career in health care while also working in real estate and engaging in extensive civic and nonprofit service.

If elected Mayor, she said she would continue emphasizing public safety, fiscal responsibility, neighborhood preservation and carefully managed growth to keep Boca Raton safe and well-managed.

She raised $236,000 and spent $127,000 by late February through her campaign account, while also taking in another $254,000 through her political committee, Fran for BocA, which reported spending $46,000 through New Year’s Eve.

Nachlas supports an initiative to redevelop the city’s downtown area, according to the Palm Beach Post. She argues lease revenues could help diversify city funding, particularly if state property tax cuts reduce municipal revenue.

Thomson, a Democratic lawyer, electrical engineer and adjunct Florida Atlantic University professor now serving as the city’s current Vice Mayor, was first elected in 2018.

If elected Mayor, he said he would continue pushing tax restraint, oppose redevelopment of public land by private developers, and pursue responsible growth, improved traffic management and affordability measures to protect residents’ quality of life.

In terms of fundraising, he’s been a powerhouse, stacking more than $619,000 between his campaign account and political committee, Running with Andy Thompson, with ample support from political and business interests.

Thomson has opposed a government campus redevelopment plan and voted against agreements to advance it, the Post reported. He said public land should not be turned over to private developers without stronger public input.

Liebelson, a Republican real estate and finance executive, is running on an outsider platform, arguing that his private-sector experience in increasing value while lowering costs equips him to reform City Hall.

If elected, he said he’d curb development-driven growth, cut taxes, eliminate wasteful spending and “clean up” what he describes as a city government influenced by developers and special interests.

He reported raising more than $203,000 and spending close to $184,500 through Feb. 27. Much of his gains were self-given. An eponymous political committee reported no contributions as of Dec. 31.

Liebelson also opposes the redevelopment plan, calling it a “giveaway” to developers. He’s pledged to scrap the project, if elected.

Internal polling released Friday showed Liebelson leading the field, with Thomson slightly behind him and Nachlas trailing in a distant third place.

Seat A

Vying to replace Nachlas in Seat A are candidates Michelle Grau, Bernard Korn and Christen Ritchey.

Grau is a Republican accountant specializing in government finance running on a platform prioritizing fiscal oversight, keeping taxes low, improving city communication with residents and addressing cost-of-living and homelessness issues.

One of three candidates to be endorsed by the Save Boca movement opposing the downtown redevelopment plan, she said the city could finance redevelopment itself without leasing public land.

As of early this month, she reported raising nearly $24,000 and spending about $15,000 through her campaign account.

Ritchey, a politically unaffiliated family law attorney and former member of the Boca Raton Planning and Zoning Board, vows to focus on a host of issues if elected, including infrastructure improvements, traffic management and support for first responders.

She supports the proposed developments in the city, arguing that the companies involved have listened to residents and improved their proposals.

She raised nearly $35,000 and spent more than $16,000 through her campaign account, City Clerk records show.

Korn, a Democratic former law enforcement officer-turned-real estate broker, has repeatedly run for public office, but hasn’t yet notched a win. He’s running on a promise to clean up City Hall, which he said is controlled by lobbyists and special interests.

Through Friday, he reported raising $5,400 through his campaign account and spending less than $350.

He said he wants to slow Boca Raton’s development, arguing the city is approving major projects faster than infrastructure like roads, parking and policing can support.

Seat B

In the race for Seat B, incumbent Council member Marc Wigder hopes to retain the seat he won in 2023. Candidates Meredith Madsen and Jon Pearlman aim to deny him.

A Republican real estate lawyer and self-described sustainability-focused developer, Wigder said that if he’s re-elected, he’ll continue promoting fiscal responsibility, public safety, affordable housing and technology-driven traffic solutions while supporting sustainable development and long-term financial stability for the city.

He generally supports the downtown development push, which he describes as a significant benefit to the city, but he has also pushed for refinements to the project and project-approval process.

Wigder reported raising more than $131,500 through his campaign account, of which he spent about $118,000 by Friday.

Madsen, a Democrat-Independence Party of Florida member, owns and operates both a suncare products business and a brand consultancy company. She’s also served in local school and civic roles, including the city’s Community Advisory Panel, and entered the race after activism with the Save Boca, which has endorsed her.

If elected, she said she would prioritize transparency, resident input and responsible growth, opposing the current downtown redevelopment plan while advocating public votes on city land deals and stronger protections for green space and neighborhoods.

Madsen reported raising $2,300 and spending about $650 through her campaign account.

Pearlman, a real estate investor and agent with no party affiliation who founded Save Boca, said he’ll fight overdevelopment, protect open green spaces and give residents greater control over how city-owned land is used, if he’s elected Tuesday.

He reported raising almost $63,000 through his campaign account and spending just $2,000. Boca Magazine reported that he has spent almost $250,000 to promote himself and Save Boca.

The outlet also called into question whether he meets Boca Raton’s one-year residency requirement to run for office, citing issues with voting records and documentation tied to his listed address.

Voter records show Pearlman, who also carries a Save Boca nod, listing a Palm Beach address as his residence through at least 2024.

Seat D

Another trio is competing for Seat D, which Thomson is vacating to run for Mayor. The candidates include Larry Cellon, Stacy Sipple and Robert Weinroth, a former Palm Beach County Mayor and Boca Raton Council member who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2024.

Cellon is a retired Democratic construction executive and longtime Boca Raton civic leader who spent decades on city advisory boards, including 27 years on the Community Appearance Board and service as Vice Chair of the Planning and  Zoning Board.

If elected, he says he would use his development and planning experience to manage growth responsibly, require developers to fund infrastructure improvements, expand traffic and transit solutions, and maintain low taxes while preserving the city’s quality of life.

He is pro-development but also pro-management, supporting growth while insisting developers help pay for infrastructure and community improvements.

Cellon reported raising about $15,000 through his campaign account and spending $13,000.

Sipple, who switched from Democrat to independent last year, is a clinical pharmacist and fourth-generation Boca Raton resident running as a political outsider focused on transparency, infrastructure planning and stronger resident input in development decisions.

If elected, she said she would limit zoning variances, require voter approval for changes to public land use and oppose long-term public land leases while prioritizing traffic solutions, public safety staffing and more transparent city governance.

She raised $18,000 and spent $5,000 through her campaign account.

Weinroth, a Democrat-turned-Republican lawyer and business executive by trade, served on the City Council from 2014 to 2018, when he won a seat on the County Commission. He was county Mayor during the 2021-22 period, a largely ceremonial leadership role rotating among members of the panel.

If elected again to the City Council, he says he would apply his government and financial oversight experience to support responsible growth, strengthen public safety, improve transportation and infrastructure and protect taxpayer dollars while maintaining parks and community services.

He said he supports the idea of redeveloping the government campus and building new public facilities, but that the current proposal still needs refinement and stronger public input before advancing.