By John Pacenti
You’ve heard of the luck of the Irish? Well, could there also be the curse of the Carney?
Real estate broker Judy Mollica, a familiar face in local civic circles, defeated well-funded political newcomer Andrea Keiser on March 10 in a race she believed hinged on voter turnout and her long‑term ties to the community.
Her victory came in a three‑way Delray Beach City Commission race in which Mollica argued that roots and record should matter more than last‑minute campaign gloss.
Mayor Tom Carney endorsed Keiser, saying she was the most qualified candidate on budget and policy matters.
Mollica replaces Rob Long, who left the commission in December after being elected state representative for District 90. Mollica captured 40% of the vote to Keiser’s 34%. A third candidate, Delores Rangel, a former executive assistant for the city, had 26% to finish third. Voter turnout was 17%.
Commissioner Angela Burns won a second term without opposition.
“I think it’s just the work I’ve done in the community and that many of the residents saw my commitment,” Mollica said after the votes were counted. “I am incredibly grateful for the voters putting their trust in me.”
Mollica and Burns took their oaths of office on March 26. Pastor Lenard Johnson of Mount Olive Baptist Church swore in the new commissioner while her daughter and family watched remotely from their home in Denmark.
Mollica — who had been on the city’s Planning and Zoning Board — got some key endorsements from the police and fire unions. She opposed the city’s ousting of the nonprofit that ran Old School Square and praised the Downtown Development Authority, often criticized by Carney as wasting taxpayer dollars.
On coastal issues, Mollica campaigned that the city should pursue reef‑based shoreline protection guided by marine scientists, rather than relying solely on trucked‑in sand and offshore dredging. She also backed exploring noise‑camera technology to ticket modified exhausts on vehicles on State Road A1A and address a long‑running quality-of-life complaint on the island.
In an era where campaigns often measure strength in the number of lawn signs lining major intersections, Mollica intentionally bucked that strategy. She said she refused to “litter the world with lawn signs,” opting instead for targeted yard placements only where homeowners specifically requested them.
“I’m door-to-door every single day, and I’ve got groups making phone calls, so we’re fighting till the end,” she told The Coastal Star before the vote.
Mollica also openly questioned Keiser’s $102,000 investment of her own money in the race, saying it showed her opponent did not have name recognition or a track record of civil service in the community.
Mollica is president of Friends of Delray, which has the motto “accountable government, sensible growth and civic pride.” She said she closed the gap with some late donations but ran her campaign “on a shoestring budget.”
The runners-up
On the trail and in interviews, Keiser framed herself as the most technically prepared candidate for a commission that spends much of its time on development and budgeting. The land-use and zoning attorney has touted that she is a board member of the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County, which manages a $300 million budget with 5% administrative costs.
She also promised to address permitting delays for residents.
“Although this election did not end the way we hoped, I remain incredibly optimistic about the future of our city,” Keiser said. “This campaign brought together many residents who care deeply about Delray Beach, and I look forward to continuing to stay involved in our community and working to make our city even stronger.”
Rangel was hampered by the flu during a key stretch of candidate forums and struggled with public speaking, failing at times to get her positions across. However, in a one-on-one interview, Rangel showed her expertise on a range of issues.
At one point, a meme surfaced on Delray Beach social media circles asking, “Where’s Delores?” showing a Where’s Waldo scenario with Rangel in front of the “Invisibility Office.”
Rangel thanked her team and congratulated Mollica.
“I am so grateful to all my volunteers and supporters, and especially to my family who I put to work for me during this campaign,” she said. “We did not get the result we wanted, but I am proud of my campaign, and running for office was an incredible experience.”
Before the election, she told The Coastal Star that the direction of the city regarding development and policies was at stake. She said she was the “only candidate who does not have donors hidden in a PAC, and I’m not supported by any developers and special interest groups.”
Mollica says she has no hard feelings toward Carney — who sent out a long memo endorsing Keiser.
“I’m not one of those vindictive people,” she said. “I just want to work and get the work of the city done.”
Mayor’s letter criticized
At the March 9 commission meeting the day before the election, Carney got quite a bit of pushback on the endorsement letter he disseminated.
Commissioners Tom Markert and Juli Casale said the assertion that he was the only one who sought budget cuts last year while other commissioners were silent was false. Casale, especially, told the mayor that when discussing the 2025-2026 budget, she was open to cuts if they were feasible. She disagreed with Carney’s proposals.
“This is yet another clear violation of the charter and our rules that we have up here,” Markert said. “You are not allowed to criticize once decisions are made, and you’ve continually done this. This behavior is chronic, it’s unnecessary, and it’s fostering a negative culture.”
Markert noted the criticism of his fellow commissioners follows Carney’s comments at the Feb. 24 meeting that he was committed to fostering mutual respect on the dais.
Casale added, “We campaigned on transparency and honesty, and that letter was remarkably dishonest. And I have to say, you know, it is true, you are violating our rules of decorum. I mean, you should be censured at a certain point.”
Paul Cannon, chair of the Police Advisory Board, also lit into Carney in public comments.
“As a voter in Delray Beach, I feel it is highly improper for a sitting elected official to tell me how I should vote, sir,” he said. “This is entirely inappropriate, and I do hope that it doesn’t backfire when you seek reelection.”
City Commission
J. Mollica* 2,745
A. Keiser 2,324
D. Rangel 1,744
*Elected to three-year term
Source: Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections
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