The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board is endorsing candidates in a number of races in the Nov. 3 elections. The Board has reached out to all candidates who qualified and will publish endorsements on congressional, state, Palm Beach County Commission, school board and Port of Palm Beach races.
The following is the Post's endorsements for Florida's U.S. 21st and 22nd congressional districts.
Whatever your choice, it's important to make your voice heard by early voting, voting by mail or by going to the polls on Nov. 3. For more details on different ways to vote, to confirm if you're registered, to know your voting precinct and/or to follow your vote, go to votepalmbeach.gov
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James Martin for US House 21
Voters
in Florida's 21st Congressional District have an opportunity to make a change. James Martin, the Democratic candidate seeking to oust long-term incumbent Republican Brian Mast, should be given an opportunity to do just that. The Post urges voters to pick Martin in the November elections.
If elected, Martin will bring a level of experience and change that will benefit this northern PalmBeach County-Treasure Coast district, particularly if the leadership and the majority of the next Congress, as many have already predicted, shifts next month from Republican to Democratic control.
Martin, a 33-year-old Hobe Sound resident, is a credible candidate. Having graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the U.S. Naval War College, his military service led to the White House, where he served as chief of staff for National Security Affairs and executive secretary of the Office of the Vice President under both Presidents Biden and Trump.
His priorities includes the "clean water crisis" facing the Treasure Coast's St. Lucie estuary and the Florida Everglades, as well as addressing the rising cost of living that is making life here ever more difficult. If elected, he would work to undo inflationary tariffs in and work to solve the looming healthcare crisis caused by the Republican's Big Beautiful Bill.
Mast, the incumbent, again chose not to participate in The Palm Beach Post's endorsement process. That's unfortunate because it robs voters of his views on important issues. No matter. Voters have a viable choice, and the Post believes they have that opportunity in Democrat James Martin.
Pia Dandiya for US House 22
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis did no one any real favors in redrawing what had been a fairly compact congressional district into Florida's 22nd Congressional District, which runs from the western edge of unincorporated Palm Beach County and parts of Broward County westward to the Gulf Coast communities of Naples and Marco Island.
Trying to represent a district that is as varied as Wellington to Everglades City would be a challenge for any veteran federal legislator. In this race though, the contest is between two political newcomers. The Post Editorial Board recommends voters in this new congressional district elect the Democratic candidate, Pia Dandiya.
Dandiya, 39, a former teacher and principal, lives in Palm Beach Gardens. Her stint in education led to work in Washington, D.C., where she was selected to the White House Fellows program under Presidents Biden and Trump. She has since worked for Apple, leading public sector partnerships, and in Illinois, co-chairing that state's K-12 Computer Science working group.
If elected, she would focus on three particular issues that impact the district: "affordability," "water issues" and "agriculture." In addressing "affordability issues, Dandiya would particularly focus on property insurance, as South Florida has some of the highest premiums in the country. She believes the combination of insurance cost and sky-high housing prices sets this district apart. She'd also prioritize helping seniors dealing with ever-increasing healthcare costs. She would also focus on ensuring Everglades restoration, the management of Lake Okeechobee and flood resilience.
Dandiya would also focus on water issues, given the fact that the district includes the Florida Everglades, Lake Okeechobee and the Caloosahatchee River Estuary. Water remains an issue that binds the district's rural and urban areas, whether it’s maintaining enough for farms in Hendry County or curbing floods in Marco Island.
The other candidate in the race is Republican Casey Askar, a 57-year-old Naples resident who founded Askar Management Group, LLC, a multi-brand franchise management and restaurant operating company. The Post Editorial Board cannot endorse Askar since he twice declined to participate in the newspaper's endorsement process.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach Post Editorial Board's endorsements for Congress
