Palm Beach County Commissioner Marci Woodward, a Republican serving her first term on the commission, is seeking re-election in hopes of representing District 4. Her opponent is Democrat Curtis Calabrese, who is making his first bid for elective office.
Both Woodward and Calabrese went unopposed in their respective primaries in August.
The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3. The deadline to register has passed. Early voting is from Oct. 19 to Nov. 1. The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot is Oct. 22 at 5 p.m. Vote-by-mail ballot are due at the Supervisor of Elections headquarters by Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.
The Palm Beach Post sent questionnaires to the candidates. The following previews were compiled from the candidates' answers in those questionnaires.
Some were edited for length.
What does the office do, what does it control?
The Palm Beach County Commission is the county's seven-member governing board, responsible for setting policy, approving budgets, overseeing county services and making major land-use and development decisions.
District map
Candidate bios
Marcie Woodward, Republican
∎ Age: 49
∎ Occupation: Palm Beach County commissioner for District 4 since 2022. Previously worked in industrial coatings sales support and administration for International Paint and Carboline.
∎ Education: Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts, University of South Carolina-Aiken.
∎ Voting record: Incumbent county commissioner and current Palm Beach County vice mayor. Serves on or has represented the county on several boards, including the Solid Waste Authority (chair), South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, Metropolitan Planning Organization Executive Committee, CareerSource Palm Beach County, Value Adjustment Board and Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council.
∎ Campaign website: marciwoodward.com
∎ Top three campaign priorities: Reducing traffic congestion through implementation of the county's transportation master plan; improving housing affordability through programs such as Homebuyer Match; and promoting responsible growth while strengthening the local workforce.
∎ Why should people vote for you?: Woodward says she has remained true to the role of a citizen representative rather than a career politician. She says she works to protect taxpayers, represent residents' interests and improve quality of life throughout District 4 while carefully scrutinizing county decisions and spending.
∎ Community involvement and service: Serves as Palm Beach County vice mayor and has represented the county on numerous regional and local boards involving transportation, workforce development, culture, solid waste, water resources and regional planning.
∎ Experience that prepared them for office: Woodward cites her four years on the County Commission, where she says she has developed a deep understanding of county government, routinely studies agenda items in detail, asks tough questions and meets with residents and stakeholders before making decisions.
∎ What they hear from voters: Residents consistently raise concerns about traffic congestion, housing affordability, growth management and ensuring that South County communities receive their fair share of county attention and services.
Curtis Calebrese, Democrat
∎ Age: 36
∎ Occupation: United Airlines captain, director of operations for Altivion Aviation, adjunct professor and former FAA aviation safety inspector.
∎ Education: Doctor of Philosophy from the University of New South Wales in Sydney; graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.
∎ Voting record: Not provided.
∎ Campaign websites: CurtisCalabrese.com
∎ Top three campaign priorities: Responsible growth and ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with development; improving housing affordability through workforce housing initiatives and oversight of county-assisted projects; reducing traffic congestion and improving transportation infrastructure while increasing transparency and accountability in county government.
∎ Why should people vote for you?: Calabrese says his background as a Navy pilot, FAA accident investigator, airline captain and aviation executive has taught him to make fact-based decisions, demand accountability and follow through on commitments. He says he would apply those principles to county government, closely monitor projects and spending, and remain responsive to residents.
∎ Community involvement and service: Served as a U.S. Naval Academy Blue and Gold officer helping students navigate the admissions process; president of the Cahuenga Maintenance Corporation and a homeowners association board; chairman of the Air Line Pilots Association's LEC-150 Safety Committee and the Legislative Committee for Professional Aviation Safety Specialists; company representative on United Airlines' Event Review Committee; served on active duty in the Navy, in the Navy Reserve and as an FAA aviation safety inspector.
∎ Experience that prepared them for office: Calabrese cites his career in aviation safety, leadership and public service. He says investigating accidents at the FAA, managing aviation operations, conducting research and teaching have taught him how to analyze facts, solve problems, weigh competing viewpoints and hold decision-makers accountable.
∎ What they hear from voters: Residents consistently raise concerns about traffic congestion, housing affordability, infrastructure keeping pace with growth, responsiveness from government agencies and trust in county government. Calabrese says voters want practical solutions they can see in their daily lives and greater accountability for public spending and development decisions.
Key differences/issues
Experience vs. outsider perspective: Incumbent Marci Woodward argues her four years on the County Commission have given her the experience needed to tackle transportation, housing and growth issues. Challenger Curtis Calabrese says his background as a Navy pilot, FAA investigator and airline captain would bring a fresh, data-driven approach to county government.
Growth management vs. stronger oversight: Both candidates cite traffic, housing affordability and infrastructure as top concerns. Woodward emphasizes implementing the county's transportation master plan, expanding homeownership programs and managing growth responsibly. Calabrese focuses on holding developers and government accountable, ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with growth and increasing transparency in county spending.
Record vs. change: Woodward is running on her record, highlighting work on transportation, workforce development and county governance. Calabrese argues residents need greater accountability, more responsiveness from government and a closer examination of whether public projects and taxpayer-funded programs are delivering promised results.
Campaign money and endorsements
Marcie Woodward
∎ Key endorsements: Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association; International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2928; AFL-CIO Palm Beach and Treasure Coast; Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association; Palm Beach Economic Council; Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches Leadership PAC; BIZ-PAC Palm Beach County; IBEW ElectroPAC 728; Hispanic Vote Palm Beach County; Miami Realtors Association and R World; and Associated Builders and Contractors Florida East Coast.
∎ Top campaign donors: Woodward says her campaign is supported by a bipartisan and diverse group of contributors at varying donation levels. She did not identify specific major donors in her questionnaire but noted that her 2022 campaign relied largely on grassroots support and that she expects broad financial backing for her re-election effort.
Curtis Calabrese
Top campaign donors: VoteVets, Adam and Gisela Alpert, Taylor Thomas, Jackie Sasaki and Camillo D., New Politics, Veterans for Responsible Leadership, Jewish Caucus of Palm Beach County, Florida Veterans for Common Sense, Democratic Veterans Caucus of Florida, Equality Florida, Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, Victory Fund and Women's Issues Now.
Endorsements: U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel; state Sens. Lori Berman and Tina Polsky; state Reps. Emily Gregory and Kelly Skidmore; Lake Worth Beach Mayor Betty Resch; Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis; Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Steve Glassman; former state Rep. Katherine Waldron; former Boynton Beach Mayor Ty Penserga; former Boca Raton Deputy Mayor Constance Scott; and retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman.
Election dates to know
∎ Oct. 19-Nov. 1: Early voting. For early voting sites, go here
∎ Oct. 22 (5 p.m.): Deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot
∎ Nov. 3: General Election (polls open 7 a.m.-7 p.m.)
∎ Nov. 3 (7 p.m.): Vote-by-mail ballots due at Supervisor of Elections headquarters
Go to the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections website at VotePalmBeach.gov for all voting information.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: PBC commission race pits incumbent Republican Woodward against newcomer
