Political newcomers Michelle McGovern, Sara Baxter seek District 6 county commission 6 seat
Two candidates who have never sought elected office, Democrat Michelle Oyola McGovern and Republican Sara Baxter, are vying for the right to represent District 6 on the Palm Beach County Commission. The winner will serve a four-year term.
McGovern has a decided finance advantage over Baxter. McGovern has raised $384,578; Baxter $92,144. Baxter, though, is the most well financed of the three Republicans seeking a seat this November on the County Commission.
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District 6 is the largest county commission district in size. It includes Royal Palm Beach, Greenacres, Wellington, the Glades area and portions of unincorporated Palm Beach County.
McGovern defeated veteran State Rep. Matt Willhite in a hotly contested primary election in August. Baxter ran unopposed in the GOP primary.
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County Commission District 6 candidate: Michelle Oyola McGovern
Age and residence: McGovern, 46, lives in Wellington.
Platform: Among her priorities are creating more workforce housing. She would do that through incentives, public-private partnerships and working with community partners to tackle the issue on multiple fronts. “We need housing that is affordable — not only for less affluent residents, but also for the influx of new residents moving to Palm Beach County due to the economic opportunities here.”
Other priorities are to ensure that roads, bridges and infrastructure are maintained and oversight of how the one-penny sales tax funds are distributed.
Professional history: Since 2019, McGovern has been the corporate director of government and community relations for Baptist Health South Florida. From 2001 to 2018, she served as a top aide to U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.
Education: She holds a bachelor's in general studies from Florida Atlantic University.
Social media presence: McGovern has a strong presence on Facebook.
Criminal history: None.
Notable media coverage: She often was the point person for Nelson during her long tenure with him. She was his statewide coordinator of outreach efforts, managing a team of 18 regional directors and staff assistants in seven regional offices. She also served as his liaison to elected officials, key political allies and statewide advocacy organizations.
She became the Democratic nominee following a bruising primary battle that pitted her against a veteran state legislator, Matt Willhite, a representative from Wellington. Much of her campaign funds were used in that election.
Endorsements: McGovern has obtained numerous endorsements that include from U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay, state Sens. Lori Berman and Tina Polsky, Belle Glade Mayor Steve Wilson, Royal Palm Beach Mayor Fred Pinto and the county Police Benevolent Association.
Finances: Campaign finance reports as of Sept. 23 show McGovern raised $348,578 and spent $328,918. Some of the contributors, especially those donating the maximum $1,000, are lawyers and land use planners who regularly appear before the commission.
County Commission District 6 candidate: Sara Baxter
Age and residence: Baxter, 38, lives in Royal Palm Beach.
Platform: Her top priorities would be to protect small business from harmful regulations that make it difficult for them to operate. She would overturn existing policies that prevent the growth of new small businesses, which she says help create jobs.
Another priority would be to reinvest in skilled labor by expanding and improving technical school programs, which, according to Baxter, are “almost non-existent.”
She opposes the $200 million affordable housing bond issue, noting that it will raise taxes on everyone. At a time when people are struggling to pay their bills, this is not when the county should be placing more pressure on taxpayers. Builders are the beneficiary of the bond issue, she noted.
Baxter also says she would work to lower county spending, questioning why the county’s budget is more than a third higher than that of Broward County, which has nearly 400,000 more people than Palm Beach County.
In terms of what should be cut, she said “nothing would be off the table.”
Professional history: With her husband, she has operated an auto repair business for foreign cars since 2011. She also works part-time as Realtor.
Education: She has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Palm Beach State College.
Social media presence: She has a presence on Facebook.
Criminal history: None.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Two political newcomers seek District 6 seat on county commission
