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 the Palm Beach County Clerk of the Courts, Palm Beach County school board District 4 and the Port of Palm Beach.
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
Yvette Drucker for Clerk of Courts
There are two names
on the November ballot for Palm Beach County Clerk of the Courts. Only one is a crystal-clear choice ― Yvette Drucker, a Democrat and Boca Raton city councilmember, who decided early to seek the seat.
Let's make the case for Drucker before stating the obvious. She has been on the Boca Raton city council since 2010, where she learned to understand budgets as well as working with fellow councilmembers and staff to address community concerns. If elected as clerk, she would work to improve services to curb fraud and government waste, protect county financial investments and help secure better state funding for court operations.
Drucker initially filed to run against the former clerk, Republican Mike Caruso. The 68-year-old accountant seemed to have an easy path to election but now faces five felony charges involving sexual abuse of a boy. Gov. Ron DeSantis has suspended Caruso from office, but that hasn't stopped Caruso from staying in the race, even as he awaits trial.
Caruso's legal status shouldn't be the ugly asterisk that haunts Drucker's campaign, or her possible victory in November. She's qualified for the job, and voters should have no qualms electing her as the next clerk.
Christina Romelus for School Board District 4
The August primaries failed to produce a clear winner in the District 4 school board race. Neither Christina L. Romelus nor Daniel Zapata earned the 50%-plus needed to secure the seat outright. In the primary race, the Post Editorial Board recommended voters pick Romelus for the seat. We see no reason to change our minds in the general election.
This year's school board election is critical. School enrollment is declining, resulting in smaller state funding. Amendment 3 won't directly impact schools but will put pressure on the district as it seeks revenue from other sources. Throw in the ongoing teacher and supportive staff shortages and it's clear that one of the nation's largest school districts faces challenges.
Romelus' background in public service as an elected official on the Boynton Beach city commission makes her a good fit for the position over her opponent Daniel Zapata, 24, a schoolteacher and administrator at Atlantic Christian Academy.
If elected, Romelus would work to improve literacy and academic outcome, boost student safety, support teachers and build stronger partnerships with businesses and community organizations. She'd also seek to curb unnecessary spending by reviewing central-office expenses, vendor contracts and other capital projects. Declining enrollment is another priority as she would work with school officials to do a better job of engaging parents and promoting district services.
Deandre Poole for Port of Palm Beach
This should be a no-brainer. Democrat Deandre J. Poole is an incumbent port commissioner who has spent his first term learning port operations and exploring ways to attract new businesses and expanding cruise operations. His opponent, Republican Ted Sarandis of Westlake, declined to seek an endorsement from the Post editorial board, robbing the public of considering his qualifications for the job and his priorities if he were to win the election.
No worries. Poole is clearly the far-superior choice, and the Post urges voters to re-elect him to the port board.
The Port of Palm Beach is Florida's fourth-largest container port and the county's "economic engine." Granted, it faces limited space, shallow channels and other restrictions, and the board has tried to address them. However, we believe the board could do more to promote the port and explain its needs to the public to develop needed improvements.
If re-elected, Poole would continue to work with the port executive director and fellow commissioners to expand operations, attract new business and to expand the existing cruise terminal to attract one to two new cruise ships.
The Post did not endorse Poole in the August primary, favoring another candidate we felt would better fit the port board's ability to address the ongoing issues that plague the landlocked facility. The voters overwhelmingly chose Poole then, and the Post Editorial Board urges voters to do so again.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Elect Drucker, Romelus and Poole for county posts | Endorsements
