Politics in South Florida is never quiet. If you’ve spent any time in West Palm or hung out in Delray, you know the vibe is shifting. Looking back at the Palm Beach County election results, it's clear the "blue wall" isn't as solid as it used to be. In fact, it's kinda crumbling at the edges.
The November 2024 general election was a marathon. We saw a voter turnout of roughly 84.08%. That’s huge. Honestly, the drama didn't stop at the top of the ticket. From the Sheriff’s office to tiny municipal seats in Juno Beach, every vote felt like a statement about where this county is headed in 2026 and beyond.
The Presidential Squeeze: Harris vs. Trump
Let’s get into the numbers that everyone is talking about. Kamala Harris technically carried the county, but boy, was it close. She pulled in 372,512 votes (49.77%), while Donald Trump followed right on her heels with 366,836 votes (49.01%).
Basically, the margin was less than 6,000 votes.
For a county that used to be a Democratic stronghold, this is a massive deal. In 2020, the gap was much wider. Now? It’s a purple blur. If you look at the breakdown, Trump actually dominated Election Day voting, but the mail-in ballots saved the day for the Democrats. Harris had over 156,000 mail-in votes compared to Trump’s 75,000. That’s where the race was won.
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Ric Bradshaw’s Sixth Round
Then there’s the Sheriff. Ric Bradshaw is basically a fixture at this point. He’s been in charge since 2004. He faced off against Michael Gauger, his former second-in-command, in what turned out to be a pretty bitter fight.
Bradshaw won. Again.
He secured about 58% of the vote. People seem to value that "top cop" experience, even with the $1 billion budget and the debates over helicopters and executive bonuses. Gauger tried to make it about "lavish spending," but the voters weren't quite ready to switch gears. Bradshaw’s campaign was a financial juggernaut, too, raising nearly $1.8 million. Money talks in Palm Beach County.
The "Red Ripple" in Local Seats
While the big names grab the headlines, the Palm Beach County election results in the state legislature showed a clear trend. Republicans are gaining ground. Take State Representative District 91, for example. Peggy Gossett-Seidman kept her seat with 54.54% of the vote, beating out Jay Shooster.
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Down in District 93, Anne Gerwig managed to flip a seat or hold a line depending on how you view the redistricting, winning with 50.19% over Katherine Waldron. It was a nail-biter—only 356 votes separated them.
- State Attorney: Alexcia Cox (D) narrowly beat Sam Stern (R) with 49.20% to 48.38%.
- U.S. Senate: Rick Scott (R) lost the county to Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D), but he performed much better here than in previous years.
- Supervisor of Elections: Wendy Sartory Link held onto her job, which is good because she’s the one who had to count all these crazy numbers.
School Board and the Culture Shift
The School Board races were non-partisan on paper, but we all know they were anything but. People are fired up about what’s being taught in classrooms. In District 1, Matthew Jay Lane beat Page Lewis with 54.6% of the vote. Over in District 5, Gloria Branch took the win against Mindy Koch.
These races matter because they affect your property taxes and, well, your kids. It’s where the "rubber meets the road" for most families living in Boca or Wellington.
2025 Municipal Madness
Fast forward to the March 2025 municipal elections. This is where things get really local. In Jupiter, Mayor Jim Kuretski held his seat with about 57% of the vote, defeating Cameron May. People in Jupiter seem happy with the current direction, or at least they aren't looking for a revolution just yet.
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Over in Palm Beach Gardens, Marcie Tinsley crushed it with over 85% of the vote for her Group 2 seat. John Kemp won a much tighter race for Group 4.
But look at Riviera Beach. That was a wild one. Bruce Guyton unseated Tradrick McCoy by just 69 votes. That is the definition of "every vote counts." If you stayed home because you thought your vote didn't matter, tell that to the guy who lost by 69 votes.
Key Takeaways from the Recent Cycles
The Palm Beach County election results tell us a few specific things. First, the Hispanic vote is moving toward the GOP, much like the rest of Florida. Second, Democrats are increasingly dependent on mail-in ballots to stay competitive. Third, local issues like development and public safety are outweighing national talking points in the smaller towns.
If you’re trying to make sense of all this for your own civic participation, here’s what you should actually do:
- Check your registration status. Florida cleans its voter rolls often. If you haven't voted in a couple of cycles, you might be marked as inactive. Go to the Votepalmbeach.gov site and make sure you’re "active."
- Request your Mail-in Ballot early. Since the law changed, you have to request these more frequently now. Don’t wait until the week before the 2026 midterms.
- Watch the runoff dates. In places like Jupiter and Royal Palm Beach, candidates often don't hit the 50% mark in the first round. The runoffs usually have abysmal turnout, meaning your vote has triple the power.
- Attend a County Commission meeting. The results of the 2024 elections mean we have new faces like Bobby Powell Jr. and Maria Sachs making decisions on your zoning and taxes right now.
The political landscape here is shifting. Palm Beach County isn't the "automatic blue" it was ten years ago. It’s a battleground. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing depends on who you ask, but one thing is certain: it's not boring.