Public education among issues dividing candidates seeking new Florida House District 93 seat
Katherine Waldron knows how to win elections.
The 62-year-old businesswoman was elected twice as Port of Palm Beach commissioner and then narrowly won the Democratic primary in August to enter as the favorite for the District 93 State House seat against Republican contender Soulis Banionis.
Waldron figures to have a big advantage against Banionis, a physician, in the Nov. 8 election. Voters in that district chose President Joe Biden over Donald Trump in 2020 by more than 10 points, according to MCI Maps.
The 93rd House district includes the village of Wellington and stretches east to include portions of Greenacres, Lake Worth Beach and Boynton Beach in unincorporated Palm Beach County.
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The candidates differ on all the red-meat issues and in particular on Gov. Ron DeSantis' campaign to reform parts of the public education system.
It's safe to say that Waldron rejects everything DeSantis is for when it comes to teaching kids.
Waldron said she will fight against the "assault by our state on local education and school boards." She will push to "openly discuss our country’s history of racism and any other uncomfortable issues that should never be forgotten, lest they be repeated."
Banionis, a Wellington resident since 2007, does not agree. He wants to go to Tallahassee to "work with the governor, not against him … "
On his campaign website, Banionis lists "reform education and parental rights" as one of his priorities and states: "Parents must direct the education of their children, not political school boards, and protect children from crazy policies."
Newly drawn District 93 covers much the same area as the old District 86. That seat was held by Matt Willhite before he chose to leave the state House to run for the Palm Beach County Commission.
Members of the Florida House of Representatives serve two-year terms with term limits and can remain in office no more than four consecutive terms.
The Palm Beach Post performed a criminal background check on every candidate. The Post is reporting any criminal charges filed and the outcome of the cases since January 2012, even when they did not result in a conviction.
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House District 93 candidate: Katherine Waldron (Democrat)
Age and residence: Waldron, 62, lives in West Palm Beach.
Platform: Her top campaign priorities are increasing reading performance among younger elementary students, addressing unfinished learning caused by the pandemic, expanding mental and behavioral health programs in schools and ensuring student and staff safety.
Professional history: A Port of Palm Beach commissioner since 2017, Waldron is co-founder of MK Inc. of the Palm Beaches, which focuses on economic development projects in the Caribbean.
Political background: Served two terms as Port of Palm Beach commissioner.
Education: Waldron holds an MBA from Palm Beach Atlantic University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia.
Criminal history: None.
Endorsements: Waldron lists dozens of elected officials and community leaders as endorsements. Among that group are U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, Palm Beach County Mayor Bob Weinroth, State Sen. Lori Berman, local mayors Ronnie Felder (Riviera Beach), Ty Penserga (Boynton Beach) and Betty Resch (Lake Worth Beach), as well as the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council and Ruth's List Florida.
Finances: According to the state Division of Elections, Waldron has received over $108,000 in contributions. Much of that — $62,000 — are loans Waldron has made to her own campaign. Records show she has spent just under $86,000.
Parental rights in education: "I am against these laws. They serve no purpose — CRT (critical race theory) is not being taught in K-12; children are not being groomed by teachers. I would work to repeal them."
Elections: "Our elections are already safe and secure. No significant fraud was found in the previous election and, in Florida, were considered to be one of the safest and most secure elections.
"I would propose to abolish the newly created Office of Election Crimes and Security — an office created for a problem that does not exist. And I would push to increase the availability of ballot box locations, establish automatic voter registration policies and make election day a statewide holiday."
Gun rights: "I do not support open or constitutional carry. I back stronger Red Flag laws; better background checks; age restrictions; closing the gun transfer loopholes and the abolishment of AR-15s."
Home rule: "The state should not dilute the powers of home rule for municipalities and counties that allow them to enact needed ordinances and codes that are fundamental to their governance. In recent years, particularly this past legislative session, it seems as if pre-empting home rule is being used as a tool to punish counties, school boards and even the soil and water board, for not getting in line with the Governor’s views."
House District 93 candidate: Saulis Banionis (Republican)
Age and residence: Banionis, 55, lives in suburban Lake Worth.
Platform: Banionis wants to cut taxes for families and small businesses, which he would accomplish by reducing property taxes and reforming the property insurance business. He also wants to "reform" public schools and "strengthen" parental rights. On his campaign website, Banionis says he wants parents to oversee education and not school boards. "I will fight to lower costs by cutting taxes, reducing state spending and work with the governor to strengthen our economy, as opposed to my opponent, that stated, 'I would undo almost everything Gov. DeSantis has done.' "
Professional history: Banionis is a medical doctor who specializes in interventional pain management and regenerative medicine. He co-owns Florida Interventional Pain Management in Wellington with his wife.
Political background: Hasn't held an elected position, but was the Republican nominee in 2020 when he lost to Democrat Kelly Skidmore for the District 81 seat by nearly 20%.
Education: Banionis has bachelor's degrees in business (Miami University) and biology (University of Illinois at Chicago) and a medical degree from Ross University, a private medical school based in Barbados.
Criminal history: None.
Endorsements: Banionis lists endorsements including Wellington Mayor Anne Gerwig, Greenacres Councilwoman Judith Dugo, the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association, the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association and the Florida Society of Interventional Pain Physicians.
Parental rights in education: "School districts should not be 'scrambling to comply' with any of these laws. The school boards and school districts should be focused on providing a strong support structure and strong educational foundation by teaching the children reading, writing, arithmetic, art, and physical fitness and make teaching fun again for the students and teachers. There is a teacher shortage and support-staff shortage and I support rewarding experienced teachers and support-staff with improved salaries and benefits."
Elections: "I support election integrity, because without it, we don't have a trusted process or a country. I support human verification of computer data, clean voter rolls, and ensuring that only U.S. citizens vote."
Gun rights: "I support gun rights and gun safety. I support the Second Amendment and constitutional carry. I support detailed background checks on everyone purchasing a firearm with strict enforcement of violators. I support the expansion of mental health services to identify and treat individuals before they harm themselves or others."
Home rule: "As a general principle, I support 'home rule,' but the pandemic has shown us that local authorities may abuse that power and override the state authority."
Jorge Milian is a journalist covering Boynton Beach and Lake Worth Beach at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jmilian@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at Caneswatch. Help support our work, subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida District 93: Education key issue dividing two candidates
