Staff report
The 2027 municipal races are already shaping up. In Delray Beach, Commissioner Juli Casale has announced she will challenge Mayor Tom Carney in the March 9 mayoral election. In Boca Raton, eight candidates have signaled their interest in running for one of the two City Council seats up for election.
However, before any candidate’s name can be placed on the March election ballot, they must first file required documents with their town or city’s clerk office during the candidate qualifying periods in November.
Here is a breakdown of the qualifying periods for southern Palm Beach County’s coastal communities and who currently holds the seats up for election. Registered voters interested in running for a seat should contact their clerk’s office for more information.
Boca Raton
Qualifying period: 8 a.m. Nov. 2 to 5 p.m. Nov. 10
Elections (incumbents): City Council Seat C (Yvette Drucker*) and Seat D (Stacy Sipple)
Terms: Three years
*Under the state’s resign-to-run law, Drucker is resigning her seat Nov. 9 because she ran this month to be Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts.
Briny Breezes
Qualifying period: Noon Nov. 10 to noon Nov. 24
Elections (incumbents): Town Council Seat 1 (David White), Seat 3 (Elizabeth “Liz” Loper) and Seat 5 (John Taylor)
Terms: Two years
Delray Beach
Qualifying period: Noon Nov. 2 to noon Nov. 20
Elections (incumbents): City Commission Seat 1 (Tom Markert), Seat 3 (Juli Casale), and Seat 5/Mayor (Tom Carney)
Terms: Three years
Gulf Stream
No municipal election in 2027.
Highland Beach
Qualifying period: Noon Nov. 10 to noon Nov. 24
Elections (incumbents): Vice mayor/commissioner (David Stern) and Town Commissioner (Judith Goldberg)
Terms: Three years
Lantana
Qualifying period: Noon Nov. 9 to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 20
Election (incumbent): Mayor/Group 5 (Karen Lythgoe)
Term: Three years
Manalapan
Qualifying period: Noon Nov. 3 to noon Nov. 17
Elections (incumbents): Town Commission Seat 1 (Cindy McMackin), Seat 3/must reside on ocean (Simone Bonutti), Seat 5/must reside on Point Manalapan (David Knobel) and Mayor/Seat 7 (John Deese)
Terms: Two years
Ocean Ridge
Qualifying period: Noon Nov. 2 to noon Nov. 13
Election (incumbents): Three commission seats (Geoff Pugh, Ainar Aijala Jr., Lanette Gustafson)
Terms: Three years for top two vote getters and two years for third-place finisher
South Palm Beach
No municipal election in 2027.
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