Two familiar faces will return to the Boca Raton City Council for new three-year terms.
Incumbent Yvette Drucker won Seat C, and former commissioner Andy Thomson won Seat D.
Drucker, 48, will resume her position on the council to which she was originally appointed to in 2020, when Jeremy Rodgers, the Seat C council member at the time, was deployed for military service. She then won the seat in 2021, and will now serve her second and final term.
“Earning the right to continue to represent the people of this city is such a wonderful result for this campaign. It is even better winning by such an enormous margin,” Drucker said. “I’m really looking forward to my next term.”
Drucker is joined by 41-year-old Thomson, an attorney and Florida Atlantic University adjunct professor. Thomson served on Seat A, currently held by Councilmember Francine Nachlas, from 2018 to 2022. He resigned to run for the state House District 91, but lost to current District 91 representative Peggy Gossett-Seidman.
Thomson will replace Council member Monica Mayotte, who is terming out.
Both winners want to see the city undergo redevelopment of critical facilities, such as a new government center, City Hall and police headquarters. Each also has a lengthy record of serving on various city boards and organizations, such as the education task force, historical society, community advisory panel and community redevelopment agency.
Drucker, a former corporate professional, calls herself a “transit champion,” and wants to see the city welcome a successful transit-oriented development, especially now that the Brightline station has a home in the city. She’s also been vocal about seeking affordable housing opportunities for residents, advocating for the implementation of the Live Local Act in the city, which seeks to incentivize workforce housing in residential developments.
In his campaign, Thomson touted a desire to prioritize traffic concerns, balancing the city’s budget and strengthening the city’s economy, which requires a delicate balance.
During his time on the council, the city passed the building recertification program in light of the Surfside condo collapse, brought the Brightline station to Boca Raton and added more resources to the police and fire departments.
Drucker and Thomson will be on the commission during a time of active engagement in the city — the Boca Raton Community Advisory Panel held an open forum to discuss issues on Jan. 18 and experienced some of the biggest turnout it had ever seen, with more than a hundred people of all ages crowding the meeting room.
Both Drucker and Thomson’s opponents had not been political newcomers. Brian Stenberg, 55, who ran for Seat D against Thomson, also ran and lost Seat D in 2021.
Bernard Korn, who Drucker defeated, was also not new to running a campaign. The 69-year-old real estate broker ran for mayor in 2018 and 2020, and lost to current mayor Scott Singer both times.
Marissa and Eleanor Panigrosso, who voted in-person at the Boca Raton Public Library on Tuesday, both said they voted for Drucker and Thomson because “they want to lower taxes.”
Drucker and Thomson’s terms will begin on March 31.
