Two prominent Democrats, Bobby Powell Jr. and Richard A. Ryles, went head to head in hopes of filling the District 7 seat on the Palm Beach County commission.
In a landslide primary victory, state Senator Powell Jr. defeated attorney and former West Palm Beach commissioner Ryles to win the Democratic nomination.
Powell Jr. will face Republican Leonard L. Serratore in November, along with two write-in candidates, Boaz Fleurena and Javonta Jerome Taylor.
The District includes cities such as Riviera Beach, Delray, Boynton, Lantana, Hypoluxo, Mangonia Park and Lake Park.
"Home ownership is the gateway to decreasing the wealth gap," Powell Jr. told 港澳天下彩after winning the election. "And this is our opportunity to really make a dent in that during my term in the county commission if I make it through the general election."
With 100% of the precincts reporting, Powell Jr., who served eight years in the Senate, nabbed 65% of the vote. Powell Jr collected 10,282 votes to Ryles' 5,364, according to the Supervisor of Elections .
Powell Jr. received a number of high profile endorsements from the Democratic establishment, ranging from Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg, state Sen. Tina Polsky, and state Sen. Lori Berman.
Powell Jr., supporters and family celebrated the victory during a watch party at BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse in West Palm Beach.
The November winner will replace county commissioner and state Senator-elect Mack Bernard. Bernard, who supports Powell Jr., won the Senate seat uncontested after no one filed to run against him.
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Incumbent commissioner Bernard, the first and only Haitian-American on the county commission, is most widely known for his affordable housing advocacy. He was a major proponent of the county鈥檚 $200 million dollar housing bond that aims to entice developers to build more homes.
Powell Jr., who represented West Palm Beach in the State Senate, has said he is looking to address many of the same concerns surrounding home and rent prices, transportation and livable wage issues in the predominantly Black District 7.
He says he has used his urban planning experience to push for improvements in public transportation and request additional housing bonds 鈥� including "an additional $25 million in an ad valorem taxes to be spent for the construction of housing within district seven.鈥�
"Housing in the black community has sometimes been one of the biggest obstacles and barriers to being able to build wealth and to be able to stabilize families and mental health. So, that's one of my biggest issues,鈥� Powell Jr said.
Housing prices have soared in recent years. The median sales price for a single family home in Palm Beach County is $650,000, according to county estimates. That鈥檚 just over 10% higher than the same time last year.
Several District seats were up for election
District 1: Incumbent Commissioner Maria Marino will serve another 4-year term. No one is challenging her in this year's primary or the general election.
District 3: Republican incumbent Michael Barnett will compete against Democrat Joel Flores in November 鈥� neither candidates faced a primary challenger.
District 5: Democrat incumbent Maria Sachs will compete against Republican John Fischer in November 鈥� neither candidates faced a primary challenger.
