Boca Raton City Council member Andy Thomson has been declared the winner of the city’s razor-thin mayoral race after a recount confirmed he defeated political newcomer Mike Liebelson by only five votes.
Thomson finished with 7,572 votes to Liebelson’s 7,567.
Boca Raton’s Mayor and Commissioners are technically nonpartisan, as are their elections.
“When you organize everywhere, you can win anywhere — including here in Florida. Mayor-elect Andy Thomson ran a strong campaign focused on the issues that matter most to Boca Raton voters, from the rising cost of groceries and gas to the health care crisis Donald Trump and his allies unleashed,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said.
“This win is another warning sign to Florida Republicans that voters are fed up with their out-of-touch agenda that is making communities like Boca Raton unaffordable.”
Thomson’s win marks the first time a Democratic-aligned candidate has won Boca Raton’s mayoralty in at least 45 years. His eight predecessors in the job, dating back to 1981 — Bill Konrad, Emil Danciu, Bill Smith, Carol Hanson, Steven Abrams, Susan Whelchel, Susan Haynie and Singer — were all either Republican or independent.Boca Raton voters just killed the biggest development deal in the city's history — by a 3-to-1 margin.
The One Boca plan would have handed 7.8 acres of city-owned land near the Brightline station to developers Terra and Frisbie on a 99-year lease. Nearly 1,000 apartments, a hotel, grocery, office space — all on public land, for 99 years. 74% of voters said no. Every council member who supported it lost their seat. The mayor's race ended in a 6-vote margin headed to a recount. The Save Boca slate swept every open seat and takes control March 31st.
Now Boca has 30 acres of aging city property, no developer, no funding, and no plan. The police HQ bond failed too. What happens next will shape downtown Boca for a generation.
