PBCHRC Voters Alliance Endorsements for 2024 - Updated 9/19/24

The Palm Beach County Human Rights Council Voters Alliance has made a endorsements in the following races: 

President and Vice President

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz

U.S. Senator

Debbie Mucarsel-Powell

U.S. Representative

(Dist. 20) -  Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick

(Dist. 21) -  Thomas Witkop

(Dist. 22) -  Lois Frankel

(Dist. 23) - Jared Moskowitz  

State Attorney

Alexcia Cox

State Representative

(Dist. 89) - Debra Tendrich

(Dist. 90) - Joe Casello

(Dist. 91) - Jay Shooster

(Dist. 93) - Katherine Waldron

(Dist. 94) - Rachelle Litt

Clerk and Controller

Joseph Abruzzo

Sheriff

Ric Bradshaw

Supervisor of Elections

Wendy Sartory Link

County Commissioner

(Dist. 3) - Joel Flores

(Dist. 5) - Maria Sachs

(Dist. 7) - Bobby Powell

Port of Palm Beach Commissioner

(Group 3) - Jean Enright

County Court Judge

(Group 2) - Lourdes Casanova

School Board Member

(Dist. 1) - Matthew Jay Lane

(Dist. 5) - Mindy Koch

Northern PBC Improvement District

(Seat 4) - Ellen Baker

Amendment 1 - Partisan School Board Races - NO

Amendment 3 - Recreational Marijuana Legalization - YES

Amendment 4 - Freedom of Choice/Abortion - YES

The following elected officials endorsed by The Palm Beach County Human Rights Council Voters Alliance currently hold office: 

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris 

U.S. Congresswoman Lois Frankel 

U.S. Congresswoman Sheila C. McCormick

U.S. Congressman Jared Moskowitz

State Senator Lori Berman 

State Senator Tina Polsky 

State Senator Bobby Powell 

State Representative Joe Casello 

State Representative Jervonte "Tae" Edmonds

State Representative David Silvers 

State Representative Kelly Skidmore 

State Representative Katherine Waldron 

County  Mayor Maria Sachs 

County Commissioner Mack Bernard 

County Commissioner Gregg Weiss

Clerk & Comptroller Joseph Abruzzo 

Constitutional Tax Collector Anne Gannon 

Property Appraiser Dorothy Jacks 

Public Defender Carey Haughwout 

Sheriff Ric Bradshaw 

Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory Link 

School Board Member Marcia Andrews 

School Board Member Alexandria Ayala 

School Board Member Frank Barbieri, Jr. 

School Board Member Karen Brill 

School Board Member Barbara McQuinn 

School Board Member Erica Whitfield 

Port Commissioner Joseph Anderson 

Port Commissioner Blair Ciklin 

Port Commissioner Jean Enright 

Port Commissioner Wayne Richards 

Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Dana Gillen 

Circuit Court Judge Jaimie Goodman 

Circuit Court Judge Dina Keever-Agrama 

Circuit Court Judge James Martz 

Circuit Court Judge Lisa Small 

County Court Judge Ted Booras 

County County Court Judge Marni Bryson 

County Court Judge Frank Castor 

County Court Judge Edward Garrison 

County Court Judge Debra Moses Stephens 

County Court Judge Ashley Zuckerman 

Palm Beach Soil and Water Conservation Supervisor Eva Webb 

Northern PBC Improvement District Member Ellen Baker 

Boca Raton City Mayor Scott Singer 

Boca Raton City Council Member Yvette Drucker

Boca Raton City Council Member Monica Mayotte 

Boca Raton City Council (Member Andrew Thomson

Boynton Beach Mayor Ty Penserga 

Boynton Beach City Commissioner Angela Cruz 

Boynton Beach City Commissioner Woodrow Hay 

Boynton Beach City Commissioner Aimee Kelley 

Delray Beach City Commissioner Angela Burns

Delray Beach City Commissioner Rob Long

Greenacres Mayor Chuck Shaw

Greenacres City Councilwoman Paula Bousquet 

Greenacres City Councilwoman Suzy Diaz 

Greenacres City Councilwoman Judith Dugo 

Greenacres City Councilman John Tharp

Haverhill Town Councilman Ray Caranci 

Lake Worth Beach Mayor Betty Resch 

Lake Worth Beach City Commissioner Sarah Malega 

Lake Worth Beach City Commissioner Christopher McVoy 

North Palm Beach Village Mayor Susan Bickel 

Palm Beach Mayor Danielle Hickox Moore 

Palm Beach Town Councilwoman Julie Araskog 

Palm Beach Town Councilman Ted Cooney 

Palm Beach Gardens Mayor Chelsea Reed 

Palm Beach Gardens City Councilmember Marcie Tinsley 

Riviera Beach City Councilwoman KaShamba Miller-Anderson 

Royal Palm Beach Village Mayor Fred Pinto 

Royal Palm Beach Village Councilwoman Selena Samois 

Wellington Village Mayor Michael Napoleone 

Wellington Village Councilman John McGovern 

Wellington Village Councilwoman Tanya Siskind 

West Palm Beach City Commissioner Christina Lambert 

West Palm Beach City Commissioner Joe Peduzzi 

West Palm Beach City Commissioner Cathleen Ward 

West Palm Beach City Commissioner Shalonda Warren 

This paid electioneering communication, which is independent of any party, candidate or committee, is produced, sponsored and paid for by the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council Voters Alliance.

Your Vote-By-Mail Ballot Request Is Expiring. Please Re-Enroll Now!

 

YOUR VOTE-BY-MAIL REQUEST WILL EXPIRE ON DECEMBER 31, 2022  PLEASE RE-ENROLL NOW!

For decades, PBCHRC supporters have been Super Voters, participating in every federal, state, and local election, year after year. As a result,candidates have courtied our votes and elected officials have enacted laws ensuring LGBTQ+ people in Palm Beach County are provided with equal rights, benefits, and protections. When the Florida Legislature began to enact laws to make voting more difficult, PBCHRC Voters Alliance introduced our "Vote Naked" campaign, encouraging people to vote by mail. In the recent election, more than seventy percent of our supporters voted by mail.

In an attempt to further suppress the vote, the Florida Legislature recently enacted a new law causing Vote-by-Mail requests to expire at the end of the year in which a General Election is held. So, your vote-by-mail ballot request will expire at year's end. So, if you want to continue voting by mail in 2023 and 2024, you need to complete a new Vote-by-Mail ballot request. You may do this online easily by clicking here. In the alternative, you may do this: By Phone: (561) 656-6208 By Email: votebymail@votepalmbeach.gov By Fax: (561) 656-6230 In person at any Office of the Supervisor of Elections You can download the form HERE to email, fax, or return in person. The vote-by-mail request must include your driver's license/Florida tate ID number OR the last 4 digits of your social security number, whichever you provided when you registered to vote. (If you do not remember which you used, PBCHRC recommends you provide both numbers to ensure your vote by mail application can be processed.) Don't wait! Municipal elections are a few months away!

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

RAND HOCH President and Founder MEREDITH OCKMAN Vice President SEAN CONKLIN GEMMA TORCIVIA Co-Treasurers RAE FRANKS RHONDA WILLIAMS Co-Secretaries

JANIECE N. DAVIS MICHAEL DUQUETTE FOWLER G. JOSEPH GARCIA CHAUNCEY GRAHAM JASMIN LEWIS TAMARA SAGER J.P. SASSER GEMMA TORCIVIA 

Visit our website

The Palm Beach County Human Rights Council (PBCHRC)  is Florida's oldest, independent, non-partisan, political organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.  We promote equality through education, advocacy, direct action, impact litigation, and community outreach. Over the years, PBCHRC has been responsible for the implementation of more than 160 laws and policies providing equal protections, rights, and benefits for the LGBTQ community.   Palm Beach County Human Rights Council Post Office Box 267 West Palm Beach, Florida 33402 (561) 358-0105 PBCHRC@gmail.com www.pbchrc.org Please follow "PBCHRC" on Facebook and Twitter and sign up for the PBCHRC blog - pbchrc.blogspot.com/ A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. PBCHRC'S Registration Number is CH46486. To obtain registration information, you may consult the website or call 800-435-7352.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE NOVEMBER 2022

 

The Palm Beach County Human Rights Council (PBCHRC) is Florida’s oldest, independent, non-partisan, political organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. We promote equality through education, advocacy, direct action, impact litigation and community outreach. Since 1990, PBCHRC has been responsible for the enactment of more than 160 laws and policies providing equal rights, protections and benefits for the LGBTQ community. Our work never stops. Even during the height of the pandemic, elected officials throughout our county enacted several new LGBTQ+-inclusive municipal civil rights ordinances. For a list of the laws and policies enacted as the result of PBCHRC’s efforts, click here and select "Laws & Policies."

VOTERS ALLIANCE

Our success in enacting pro-LGBTQ laws is directly related to our community’s participation in electoral politics. Since 1988, the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council Voters Alliance (PBCHRCVA) members — all volunteers —, have conducted close to 1,000 face-to-face endorsement interviews — and close to 100 interviews via Zoom and phone — of candidates seeking public office. We have done this to educate public officials, make endorsements and take action to elect people who will take steps to change laws and policies to provide equal treatment and equal benefits for the local LGBTQ community. Throughout the year, PBCHRCVA supporters worked to identify more LGBTQ-supportive residents and get them registered to vote. We also worked on early voting, vote-by-mail and get-out-the-vote campaigns. So, it came as no surprise that LGBTQ and allied voters in Palm Beach County turned out in record numbers in the General Election . Our supporters continue to be "super-voters," as we have been for decades. Thanks to your votes, the following PBCHRCVA-endorsed candidates were elected or re-elected in the General Election. Congresswoman Sheila McCormick Congresswoman Lois Frankel Congresswman-Elect Jared Moskowitz    State Senator Bobby Powell, Jr. State Senator Lori Berman State Senator Tina Polsky State Representative Jervonte "Tae" Edmonds State Representative David Silvers State Representative Joe Casello State Representative Kelly Skidmore State Representative-Elect Katherine Waldron County Commissioner Gregg K. Weiss Port of Palm Beach Commissioner Blair Ciklin Port of Palm Beach Commissioner-Elect Deandre Poole School Board Member Marcia Andrews PBCHRC welcomes Brad Jackson as our newest member of the Voters Alliance

PBCHRC'S WINTER FÊTE

PBCHRC supporters will celebrate our 35th anniversary of LGBTQ+ advocacy in Palm Beach County at the 2023 Winter Fête. The event will be held the evening of January 14, 2023, at a private home in Palm Beach. Sandy James Fine Food & Catering will provide hors-d'oeuvres, Echo will provide sushi boats. and, as always, there will be a premium open bar. At this time, we are seeking members of the Host Committee to contribute $1,000 to help underwrite the event and PBCHRC initiatives. Host Committee for the Winter Fête will receive two tickets to the event. To join the Host Committee, please go to PBCHRC.org/events or mail your check, made payable to PBCHRC, to Post Office Box 267, West Palm Beach, Florida 33402 Host - George Albrecht Host Committee Champagne and Vodka Sponsor: Pernod-Ricard Decor Sponsor: Bruce Sutka Event Design Sushi Sponsor: Echo Wine Sponsor: Table 26 Jason Arbuckle Alexandria Ayala and Rob Long Lori Berman Paul Bernabeo and David Cohen Mack and Shawn Bernard Ric Bradshaw Terry Bowie and William Feldkamp Karen Brill Pamela Buchmeyer and Shellie Crandall Castle Wealth Management Shawn Cherry and Vincent Ruisi Blair Ciklin Gil Cohen and Paul Gervais Peter Conn, Jr., and Oscar Garza Cornerstone Solutions David Crespo and Nicholas Coppola James Curtis and Jason Colin Joseph Paul Davis Arlen Dominek and A.J. Young Brent Feigenbaum and Frank Morgan Mark Foley and Ryan Ruark Edith Hall Friedheim and Peter Cruise Dr. James Goad Clifford Hertz and Paula Ryan Rand Hoch Tom Holton Lawrence  Jacobs and Steven Snapp Keith and Lorna James Gerald Jarosinski, Jr. Michael Judd and Ben Small Michael Kagdis Aimee Kelley Wood Kinnard and Alberto Arias Christina and Monte Lambert Gregg Lerman Rachelle and Jeff Litt Joseph Marino, Jr. and Anthony Sibilia   Mittleman Eye Dr. David Mittleman and Michael Duquette Fowler James North Joe and Erin Peduzzi Ty Penserga Steve Potanovic Scott Rixford and Jose Mena Roosters Rick Rose and Mitra Esmailzadah SandyJames Fine Food & Productions W. Trent Steele and Douglas B. Andrews James Swope and Scott Robertson Don Todorich - Corcoran Group R.E. Richard Triggs and William Jennings Scott Velozo and Stephen Mooney Katherine Waldron Shalonda Warren A.J. Wasson and Randy Christensen Dr. Donald Watren and Anthony Jaggi Charles Williams Gregg and Rebecca Weiss IN OTHER NEWS PBCHRC congratulates the Village of Wellington for hosting the Inaugural Florida LGBTQ+ Liaison Summit in October. The event, sponsored by Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried, drew dozens of people from across the state who serve their communities as LGBTQ+ liaisons. Thanks go out to Nathan Bruemmer, Commissioner Fried’s LGBTQ+ liaison who ran the event. Special thanks go out to Wellington Village Manager and CEO Jim Barnes and Kim Gibbons, the Village's LGBTQ+ liaison, for their work in pulling everything together.  CURRENT INITIATIVES   PBCHRC is currently working to persuade:    The Health Care District of Palm Beach County to provide trans-specific healthcare services to indigent patients. The School District of Palm Beach County to adopt a resolution opposing conversion therapy on students. The School District of Palm Beach County to cease doing business with Chick-fil-A and other companies that discriminate against LGBTQ people and other minorities. For close to thirty-five years, the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council has worked diligently on behalf of the LGBTQ community. With your support, we will continue to do so in the years to come. As always, we will keep you posted on our progress. Judge Rand Hoch (retired), President and Founder A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. PBCHRC'S Registration Number is CH46486. To obtain registration information, you may consult the website or call 800-435-7352.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

RAND HOCH President and Founder MEREDITH OCKMAN Vice President SEAN CONKLIN GEMMA TORCIVIA Co-Treasurers RAE FRANKS RHONDA WILLIAMS Co-Secretaries

JANIECE N. DAVIS MICHAEL DUQUETTE FOWLER G. JOSEPH GARCIA CHAUNCEY GRAHAM JASMIN LEWIS TAMARA SAGER J.P. SASSER GEMMA TORCIVIA 

The Palm Beach County Human Rights Council (PBCHRC)  is Florida's oldest, independent, non-partisan, political organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.  We promote equality through education, advocacy, direct action, impact litigation, and community outreach. Over the years, PBCHRC has been responsible for the implementation of more than 160 laws and policies providing equal protections, rights, and benefits for the LGBTQ community.   Palm Beach County Human Rights Council Post Office Box 267 West Palm Beach, Florida 33402 (561) 358-0105 PBCHRC@gmail.com www.pbchrc.org

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE – POST-PRIMARY ELECTION UPDATE – AUGUST 2022

August 2022

The Palm Beach County Human Rights Council (PBCHRC) is Florida’s oldest, independent, non-partisan, political organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. We promote equality through education, advocacy, direct action, impact litigation and community outreach. Since 1990, PBCHRC has been responsible for the enactment of more than 160 laws and policies providing equal rights, protections and benefits for the LGBTQ community. Our work never stops. Even during the height of the pandemic, elected officials throughout our county enacted several new LGBTQ+-inclusive municipal civil rights ordinances. For a list of the laws and policies enacted as the result of PBCHRC’s efforts, click here and select "Laws & Policies."

PBCHRC VOTERS ALLIANCE

Our success in enacting pro-LGBTQ laws is directly related to our community’s participation in electoral politics. Since 1988, the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council Voters Alliance (PBCHRCVA) members — all volunteers —, have conducted close to 1,000 face-to-face endorsement interviews — and close to 100 interviews via Zoom and phone — of candidates seeking public office. We have done this to educate public officials, make endorsements and take action to elect people who will take steps to change laws and policies to provide equal treatment and equal benefits for the local LGBTQ community. Throughout the year, PBCHRCVA supporters worked to identify more LGBTQ-supportive residents and get them registered to vote. We also worked on early voting, vote-by-mail and get-out-the-vote campaigns. So, it came as no surprise that LGBTQ and allied voters in Palm Beach County turned out in record numbers in the Primary Elections, while general turnout was less than 25%. Our supporters continue to be "super-voters," as we have been for decades. While most of the candidates endorsed by PBCHRCVA did exceptionally well in our county, others were not elected because of election results in other parts of the state. Thanks to your votes, the following PBCHRCVA-endorsed candidates won their primary elections on August 23: School Board Members Karen Brill and Erica Whitfield County Court Judge Paul Damico Circuit Court Judge-Elect Caryn Siperstein In addition, the following PBCHRCVA-endorsed candidates moved forward in the Primary Elections, but face opposition in the November 8, 2022, General Election. Val Demings, candidate for U.S. Senate U.S. Representatives Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Jared Moskowitz, candidate for U.S. House of Representatives Aramis Ayala, candidate for Attorney General State Representative Kelly Skidmore Katherine Waldron, Candidate for State Representative Deandre Poole, candidate for Port of Palm Beach Commissioner School Board Member Marcia Andrews Corey Smith, candidate for School Board To view a list of all of the candidates endorsed by PBCHRCVA in the General election, click here.

DELRAY BEACH LGBTQ PRIDE STREETSCAPE VANDAL STRIKES AGAIN (AND AGAIN)

On June 13, 2022, Judge Scott Suskauer ordered two years of probation for Alexander Jerich, the man who used his truck to deface the Delray Beach LGBTQ Pride Steetscape in June 2021. As part of the Order of Probation, Jerich was ordered to “live without violating any law. A conviction in a court of law is not necessary for such a violation of law to constitute a violation of your probation...” Apparently, Jerich did not respect the Order. Within weeks following the sentencing hearing, residents in unincorporated Lake Worth filed complaints with PBSO, reporting Jerich revving up his vehicle, damaging the field adjacent to their homes. After the first incident on July 4, Jerich returned to the same location on July 11, and did it again, this time, damaging both the grass and a small pine tree. The homeowners provided PBSO with photos and videos taken by security cameras of Jerich and the damage he caused. Despite the clear photo of Jerich and the identification of his vehicle, Jerich denied being involved when PBSO went to his home to question him. Although PBSO informed Jerich’s Probation Officer of the incident, the probation officer did not find the offense significant enough to report te incident to Judge Suskauer. Therefore PBCHRC sent a letter to Judge Suskauer seeking an investigation regarding Jerich’s possible violation of probation. Unless Judge Suskauer takes action, it appears that once again, the justice system will fail to hold accountable a man who shows no respect for the property of others — or Judge Suskauer’s admonition and Order of Probation.

CONVERSION THERAPY BAN UPDATE

In July, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued a ruling refusing to reconsider a three-judge panel decision that struck down the conversion therapy bans enacted in Palm Beach County and Boca Raton. As a result of the ruling, young LGBTQ+ people throughout Florida, Alabama and Georgia are at risk from the psychological abuse caused by conversion therapy. In order to prevent this case from proceeding to the U.S. Supreme Court, PBCHRC has asked Palm Beach County Commissioners and Boca Raton City Commissioners to repeal their bans, which they have done, thus making the legal issue moot. (We also have requested seven other municipalities throughout the county to repeal their bans as well.) PBCHRC'S SUMMER SOIREE PBCHRC supporters had a great time at our biennial Summer Soirée at the National Croquet Center. Thanks go out to the Host Committee for making this event a fabulous success Alexandria Ayala and Rob Long Paul Bernabeo and David Cohen Pamela Buchmeyer and Shellie Crandall Ric Bradshaw Karen Brill Shawn Cherry and Vincent Ruisi Peter Conn, Jr. and Oscar Garza Cornerstone Solutions David Crespo and Nicholas Coppola Charlie Crist Joseph Paul Davis Echo Christy Fox Nikki Fried Dan Hall Rand Hoch Keith James and Lorna James Gerald Jarosinski, Jr. Wood Kinnard and Alberto Arias Jeff Koons Christina and Monte Lambert Gregg Lerman Wendy Sartory Link Katrina Long Robinson Michelle Oyola McGovern and John McGovern Joseph Marino, Jr. and Anthony Sibilia  Mittleman Eye Dr. David Mittleman and Michael Duquette Fowler Jared Moskowitz National Croquet Center Joe and Erin Peduzzi Ty Penserga Bobby and Whitney Powell SandyJames Fine Food & Productions David Silvers W. Trent Steele and Douglas B. Andrews Andy Thomson Don Todorich Scott Velozo and Stephen Mooney Katherine Waldron Cathleen Ward Shalonda Warren Gregg and Rebecca Weiss Erica Whitfield Matt Willhite

CURRENT INITIATIVES   PBCHRC is currently working to persuade:    The Health Care District of Palm Beach County to provide trans-specific healthcare services to indigent patients. The School District of Palm Beach County to adopt a resolution opposing conversion therapy on students. The School District of Palm Beach County to cease doing business with Chick-fil-A and other companies that discriminate against LGBTQ people and other minorities.

For more than three decades, the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council has worked diligently on behalf of the LGBTQ community. With your support, we will continue to do so in the years to come. As always, we will keep you posted on our progress. Judge Rand Hoch (retired), President and Founder

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. PBCHRC'S Registration Number is CH46486. To obtain registration information, you may consult the website or call 800-435-7352.