News

By Steven J. Smith

    A very big 2016 election year offers candidates at nearly every level, and the Aug. 30 primary ballot promises some hot races.
    At the federal level, candidates will vie for seats in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
    For U.S. senator, the Republicans will pit Marco Rubio against Carlos Beruff, Ernie Rivera and Dwight Mark Anthony Young, while Democratic candidates Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente, Alan Grayson, Pam Keith, Reginald Luster and Patrick Murphy all vie for their party’s slot. Augustus Invictus and Paul Stanton will run as Libertarian Party candidates.
    U.S. congressional candidates include Republicans Carl J. Domino, Mark Freeman, Rick Kozell, Brian Mast, Rebecca Negron and Noelle Nikpour, and Democrats Jonathan Chane, Randy Perkins and John “Juan” Xuna.
    At the state Senate level, District 29 will see Democrats Mindy Koch and Kevin Rader face off. Democrats Bobby Powell and Michael Steinger will compete for District 30 and District 31 will be decided among Democrats Jeff Clemens, Emmanuel G. Morel and Irving “Irv” Slosberg.
    State House races are as follows: for District 85, Republicans Rick Roth and Andrew Watt; District 86, Republicans Laurel S. Bennett and Stuart W. Mears; District 86, Democrats Tinu Pena and Matt Willhite; District 87, Democrats Darren James Ayoub, Virginia Savietto and David Silvers; District 88, Democrats Edwin Ferguson, Angie Gray and Al Jacquet; and District 91, Democrats Kelly Skidmore and Emily Slosberg.
    Other state offices include Republican state committeeman and Groups 1 and 4 in the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit.
    A constitutional amendment is also on the ballot, which would “authorize the Legislature, by general law, to exempt from taxation the value of solar or renewable energy source devices.”
    In Palm Beach County, primary races will take place for county court judge, county commissioner, School Board members, sheriff, property appraiser and supervisor of elections, special taxing districts and committeeman/committeewoman officers in 12 precincts.
    Early voting for the primary election runs Aug. 15-28. Early voting sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Voters must bring a current picture/signature ID.
    The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot is Aug. 24. All vote-by-mail ballots must be received at the Supervisor of Elections main office (at 240 S. Military Trail, West Palm Beach, FL 33415) by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
    For a list of the 15 early voting locations, contact the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office at 656-6200, or by email at mailbox@pbcelections.org. Or log on to www.pbcelections.org.