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The Port of Palm Beach Commission is in our Election Spotlight.
The incumbent in the Democrat primary for the Group 5 seat explains more about the Port and the Commission that's elected by the voters to manage it.
"The Port of Palm Beach is the economic engine for our community and we also create jobs. We are what I would call a business of the state of Florida. We are a special independent district, a special taxing district. We have the power to tax but we have not taxed in Palm Beach County since 1975."
Deandre Poole, a senior instructor in the School of Communication and Multimedia Studies at Florida Atlantic University, says he's helped oversee a port with an economic impact exceeding $7 billion since he was first elected in 2022.
"We talk about the sucess of the Port in the 3 and a half years...the fact that we completed a $36 million infrastructure development project. We have secured over $13 million in state grants and we have an additional $6 million in money that we're expecting to receive."
Poole is being challenged in the primary by Taniel Koushakjian, also known as "TK." He's a public affairs executive, small business owner who is running on a platform of more jobs and economic opportunity.
"I support an economic impact study, which my opponent has opposed and voted against. We need that study in order to justify more cruise ships for the cruise lines to come and justify the investments that we need from the federal and the state government."
Margaritaville-at-Sea is the only cruise line operating at the Port and it serves about 380,000 passengers a year.
"And most people don't realize that. The Port directly and indirectly effects 10,000 jobs in the maritime industry. We're a large economic asset. The Port's District spans about 50 percent of the county and it's a very large geographic area."
The winner of the primary will face Republican Ted Sarandis in November.
There is also the race for the Group 4 seat on the Port Commission, where Blair Ciklin is currently serving as Chair and running for reelection.
He's being challenged by Serge D'Haiti and Brian Lamb in a Democrat primary that will work as a universal primary because there are no other candidates running for that seat.
That means all registered voters living within the Port District boundaries are eligible, regardless of party.