Boca Raton elections: What you need to know about the candidates for the two open seats

BOCA RATON — Civic engagement, transportation and addressing the city's growth are among the candidates' top priorities with seats C and D on the City Council open on the March 19 ballot in Boca Raton, Palm Beach County's second-largest city with 97,422 people.

For Seat C, candidates are incumbent Yvette Drucker and Bernard Korn. Drucker was elected to the council in 2021, while Korn ran for mayor unsuccessfully in 2018 and 2020, losing both times to current mayor Scott Singer.

For Seat D, candidates are Brian Stenberg and Andy Thomson running to replace Monica Mayotte. Stenberg lost a 2021 bid for Seat D, while Thomson served a four-year term on the council's Seat A beginning in 2018.

Here's a more detailed look at the candidates:

Seat C: Incumbent Yvette Drucker, 48, is a Boca resident of two decades

• Background: A first-generation Cuban-American, Drucker holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Florida International University. She worked in human resources management and strategic client implementation for 13 years with ADP TotalSource before becoming a full-time council member.

• Public service: She is a leader for the Junior League of Boca Raton and serves as Statewide Public Affairs Chair for a coalition representing 23 Florida Junior Leagues; president of the Boca Raton Historical Society; PTA president and board member of Calusa Elementary; PTO president of B’nai Torah Congregation; PTA board vice president of Ways & Means at Don Estridge High Tech Middle School and president of the Don Estridge High Tech Middle School foundation. She also serves on the boards of the Florence Fuller Child Development Centers; as vice president and treasurer of the Boca Raton Children’s Museum; as a mentor for the Viner Scholarship Foundation; as a member of the host committee for the Boca Raton Museum of Art and the host committee for Hillel International; as a GO Pink ambassador and as a committee member for National Jewish Health. She serves on the executive board of the Palm Beach County Transportation Planning Agency, several committees of the Florida League of Cities and as a voting delegate member of the Palm Beach County League of Cities.

• Priorities: Transportation innovation, housing affordability, local economic sustainability and job creation, public safety and making City Hall responsive to the needs of residents and local businesses.

• What she's saying: “I have a proven record of being a councilwoman who is a good listener, has a clear vision and is a tireless advocate for responsible policies that benefit the residents, neighborhoods and businesses of Boca Raton. It would be an honor to earn the opportunity to continue to take on the tough issues, and I’m ready to keep fighting for forward-thinking, common-sense solutions that really work.”

• Campaign finances: Drucker’s campaign budget is $145,000.

• Website: YvetteforBoca.com

Seat C: Bernard Korn, 69, is a Boca Raton resident who’s run for office before

• Background: Korn holds a bachelor’s degree in business and finance from Brooklyn College. He has a background in law enforcement and real estate. Korn has served as the chairman of Undiscovered Properties, a real estate and financial services franchise company, and as president of Travel Lines Express, a travel agency and hospitality franchise firm.

• Public service: Korn has not previously held a position in public office, but he has run for Boca Raton’s city council and for mayor in the past.

• Priorities: Accountability, transparency and honestly in political government, political finance reform and stricter term limits for all council members, including the mayor.

• What he's saying: "We must stop corruption in Boca Raton. Boca Raton City Council members are greatly influenced by special interest groups, lobbyists and political action committees. Dark money prevails in our great city. Contributions equal bribes. Endorsements equal favors. I am running for Council Seat C without any outside financial contributions, with only the help of a press secretary, a few advisors and many volunteers that support me. I am going to inspire a new generation of politicians. Not only here in the city of Boca Raton, but throughout the United States."

• Campaign finances: Korn did not disclose campaign finances to The Post.

• Website: ElectBernardKorn.com

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Seat D: Andy Thomson, 41, is an attorney and former council member for Boca Raton

• Background: Thomson, a lifelong Floridian, holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech and a JD degree from the University of Miami School of Law. He has worked in the legal field for more than 12 years, including his work as a practicing attorney at the Boca Raton law firm of Baritz & Colman LLP over the last eight years. He is also an adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University teaching local and state government.

• Public service: Thomson served on the City Council from 2018 until 2022. He has also served as a member and vice-chair of the Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency; as a governing board member of the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency; vice-chair of the City of Boca Raton’s Education Task Force; a member of the City of Boca Raton’s Community Advisory Panel; and a member of the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency’s Citizens Advisory Committee.

• Priorities: Neighborhood safety through strategic community policing initiatives, sustainable transportation, managing city growth responsibly and protecting taxpayers.

• What he's saying: "I’m a dedicated and proven public servant with deep roots in Boca Raton. I have a responsible record of leadership and the skills needed to navigate the complexities of local government. On the Council, I voted to keep taxes low and make our city more attractive to families and businesses looking to move here. Our economy is strong, our neighborhoods are clean, and our city leads the way in South Florida. I bring the experience, leadership and passion to ensure we keep this momentum and that our community has a voice they can trust."

• Campaign finances: Thomson’s campaign budget is $150,000.

• Website: AndyThomson.com

Seat D: Brian Stenberg, 55, is a partner at a local real estate firm and a 26-year Boca resident

• Background: Stenberg, a lifelong Florida resident, holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications. He is a partner at a Boca Raton-based commercial real estate management and development firm specializing in medical office buildings. He has been with the company since 1994.

• Public service: He serves as president of the Boca Square Civic Association; treasurer of the Federation of Boca Raton Homeowner Associations; and as a catechist at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church. He’s also served as a commissioner for the Boca Raton Housing Authority and the Palm Beach County Planning Commission. He previously ran for Seat D in 2021.

• Priorities: Building civic engagement and community pride, encouraging respectful growth and protecting and enhancing Boca Raton’s quality of life.

• What he's saying: “I have no intention to be a career politician. Having been involved in my community as a resident and neighborhood activist for the last 26 years, I know how Boca Raton operates. I will put my wisdom to work.”

• Campaign finances: Stenberg’s campaign budget is $50,000.

• Website: BrianStenberg.com

Jasmine Fernández is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at jfernandez@pbpost.com and follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @jasminefernandz. Help support our work. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boca Raton elections: What you need to know about the candidates