Judy Mollica wins open Delray Beach Commission seat with frequent swing vote

Tuesday’s elections in Palm Beach County resulted in a new City Commission member: Judy Mollica, who won the panel’s open Seat 2 spot.

After polls closed, Mollica had 40.4% of the vote, outpacing opponents Andrea Keiser and Delores Rangel, who took 34% and 25.6%, respectively.

Mollica succeeds ex-Commissioner Rob Long, who left the dais late last year for a seat in the Legislature representing House District 90.

She said in a statement that she is “incredibly grateful to the voters of Delray Beach for placing their trust in me.”

This campaign was about making sure our city works for everyone — practicing fiscal responsibility, demanding transparency at City Hall, and ensuring residents have a real voice in the decisions that shape our community,” she said. “I’m honored by the opportunity to serve and ready to get to work for the people of Delray Beach.”

Delray Beach Commission members are elected at-large, meaning every voter in the city can weigh in on the contest, regardless of where they live. And there is no runoff; by taking the most votes, Mollica won a three-year term at City Hall outright.

Several factors influenced voters’ decisions this year. Development, governance disputes and finances all surfaced as central issues, with rapid construction growth, especially downtown, remaining contentious as residents debated density, traffic and the influence of developers on city politics.

In the months leading to Election Day, City Commission meetings frequently devolved into public arguments, with observers describing sessions under Mayor Tom Carney as chaotic “shouting matches.”

The conflict was especially visible in a fight over the city’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA). Carney has pushed for greater scrutiny of the agency’s finances and supported a state audit after an internal review found control and document weaknesses. Meanwhile, some Commissioners — Juli Casale and Thomas Markert — defended the DDA as a key driver of downtown business activity.

Taxes and city finances were another flashpoint. In 2025, the Commission voted 3-2 to raise Delray Beach’s millage rate from 5.94 to 6.19 mills, the first increase in more than a decade, after officials warned that a previously lowered rate had caused a $25 million budget shortfall. Deputy Vice Mayor Angela Burns, who voted for keeping the lower rate, contended that the hike wouldn’t fix the problem.

Tuesday’s nonpartisan election came against that politically unstable backdrop. Long frequently cast the five-seat City Commission’s deciding vote — a power the winner will secure.

A coastal municipality in southern Palm Beach County situated between Boca Raton and West Palm Beach, Delray Beach boasts roughly 72,000 residents, making it one of the larger cities in the county.

Keiser, a 42-year-old Republican land-use and zoning lawyer, small-business owner and education administrator, ran for elected office after serving in multiple appointed capacities under Gov. Ron DeSantis, including the Delray Beach Housing Authority and Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County.

Her husband’s family founded Fort Lauderdale-headquartered Keiser University, for which she previously worked in legal affairs.

Keiser’s campaign platform centered on improving government efficiency and public safety, backing the development of workforce housing, managing traffic better, bolstering local infrastructure and refining Delray Beach’s land-use policy while protecting residents’ quality of life.

Some critics raised concerns about developer influence, given Keiser’s professional work with development approvals. She argued her expertise will help, not exploit, complex city codes.

Through Friday, she reported raising more than $170,500 and spending $133,500 through her city campaign account, with much of her gains coming from her bank account. She also had two state-level political committees, neither of which reported any campaign finance activity before Dec. 31, the last date for which such information is available from the Florida Division of Elections.

Mollica, a 65-year-old Democratic real estate broker and longtime civic activist, is the founder of Friends of Delray, a nonprofit community-focused news and activism platform. She is also a member of the city’s Planning and Zoning Board and Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, and is active in the Rotary Club of Delray Beach and other local organizations.

Her campaign focused in large part on government watchdog issues, emphasizing transparency, civic engagement and repairing strained relationships between residents and City Hall. Among her priorities: addressing housing unaffordability, upgrading aging water infrastructure and managing traffic congestion.

She was also outspoken about state proposals to eliminate property taxes, warning it could be a “disaster” for Delray’s finances. On City Hall infighting, Mollica criticized Carney, arguing the frequency of clashes among Commissioners could be reduced if the Mayor exercised stronger control of meetings.

She supports responsible development that preserves neighborhood character while maintaining downtown’s economic vitality.

Mollica reported raising more than $86,000 and spending $44,000 through her campaign account by the end of last week, with her gains coming from a blend of personal checks, corporate contributions, political donations, and $40,000 in self-loans. A state-level political committee she runs reported no financial activity between mid-2022 and New Year’s Eve.

Rangel, 67, worked for nearly three decades at City Hall as an executive assistant, including 27 years working directly with the Mayor and City Commission. A longtime Republican who switched to the Democratic Party in 2024, she described herself as a politically independent, pragmatic administrator rather than a partisan figure.

Her campaign messaging emphasized transparency, fiscal oversight and protecting the city’s “Village-by-the-Sea character,” along with safer neighborhoods and strong public schools. Her experience inside City Hall, she argued, meant she could “hit the ground running” without a learning curve.

On the major issues facing the city, Rangel supported protecting neighborhood scale, managing growth carefully and keeping taxes low, while maintaining city services. She criticized Carney’s management style, saying meetings need better organization rather than attempts to control outcomes. She also questioned the Mayor’s confrontational approach toward the DDA, suggesting the city should prioritize cooperation.

In terms of fundraising, Rangel was the underdog. She reported raising about $30,500 and spending $27,000 through her campaign account by the last reporting date. More than a third of her gains came through self-loans.