By Tao Woolfe
Big league-style negative campaign messages have already reshaped the City Council race, sidelining one of four candidates seeking Vice Mayor Constance Scott’s seat.
The non-partisan election will be held March 10.
In the running are: Frank Chapman, 47, an attorney and businessman; Jeremy Rodgers, 36, a computer security engineer at IBM and a member of the U.S. Naval Reserve; and Jamie Sauer, 34, a Realtor and Junior League member.
All three candidates have longstanding ties to Boca Raton. Rodgers, the newcomer of the group, has lived here since attending Florida Atlantic University in 1997. Chapman and Sauer grew up in Boca Raton.
Armand Grossman, who also had been running for the seat, dropped out after a mass mailing and website raised questions about a real estate course he ran.
The state Department of Business and Professional Regulation investigated Grossman’s business in 2000. The matter was closed after Grossman, a retired educator, paid $1,500 in fines and restitution.
Grossman, 72, quit the race on Jan. 20, saying he did not want to be mired in politicking.
According to published reports, the negative ad campaign was financed by candidate Frank Chapman’s wife. Chapman and Grossman are neighbors in the Royal Palm Beach Yacht Club.
Sauer declared her candidacy on Jan. 12, the last day for qualifying.
Vice Mayor Scott, who has held the Seat C spot for six years, is vacating her seat because she has reached the end of her two-term limit.
Seat D was also open, but Councilman Robert Weinroth automatically won that race because no one challenged him. He has been serving out the term of City Councilman Anthony Majhess. Majhess vacated his council seat to launch an unsuccessful bid for mayor.
Because he is unopposed, Weinroth’s name will not appear on the ballot.
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