BOCA RATON, Fla. — Boca Raton residents are casting early ballots ahead of the March 10 municipal election, where voters will choose a new mayor, fill council seats, and decide the fate of the One Boca mixed-use development project.
Campaign finance records show two candidates have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars — much of it from political committees — with each spending more than $38,000 on commercials alone.
Three candidates are running for mayor: current council members Fran Nachlas and Andy Thomson, and newcomer Mike Liebelson.
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Nachlas, the current deputy mayor, was raised in Palm Beach County. Her campaign says she is focused on safety, protecting public land, and fiscal responsibility. She was unable to speak with us for this story.
Thomson, who is among the top spenders in the race, has centered his campaign on growth, addressing cost of living, traffic solutions, and opposing the government campus redevelopment. He said he is focused on preserving what makes the city unique.
"I understand what the city cares about, I understand its character, its charm and what we need to do to preserve it," Thomson said.
Liebelson, a new face in the race, was born in New York and earned a degree in Chemical Engineering before going on to receive an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of Business. He is positioning himself as an alternative to developer-aligned politics.
"I'm looking to take the city back from developers and bring it back to the people," Liebelson said.
Ads from all three candidates are running on television and social media, and residents say they are hard to miss. Common themes include preserving the city's charm, lowering taxes, and improving public safety.
Resident Tom Galatis raised concerns over the level of spending.
"Aw man, that's so much money to be spent on ads that could be used for other things to help the community instead," Galatis said.
Political analyst Susan MacManus said the spending is not unusual for a municipal race.
"Absolutely yes," MacManus said when asked if this level of spending is typical for a municipal election.
MacManus said high ad spending is driven by the challenge of turning out voters in local elections.
"Its absolutely essential because turnout in municipal elections can typically be a lot lower than it is for presidential," MacManus said.
MacManus also said ballot questions like the One Boca mixed-use development project could motivate more residents to show up.
"Local control is basically what a lot of people will be thinking about when they vote on those mixed-development kinds of issues," MacManus said.
The Boca Raton municipal election is on March 10. Early voting is currently underway.
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