Florida House 89: Choose Acosta in GOP primary

Next month voters in the northwest and western areas of Palm Beach County will begin the process of choosing a new state representative as Republican Rick Roth cannot run for re-election due to term limits. Four Republicans have qualified in the Aug. 20 primary to vie for Florida’s 94th House District. The Palm Beach Post recommends voters choose Christian F. Acosta. The winner will face Democrat Rachelle Litt in the November general elections.

The district leans Republican due to its mix of growing suburbs and vast areas of sugar cane and other farmland. It includes Palm Beach Gardens, Royal Palm Beach, Westlake and the Glades communities along Lake Okeechobee.

Acosta, 41, is an engineer by trade. He’s an adjunct professor at Palm Beach State College and he has worked with Roth. That opportunity in particular has given Acosta a better understanding of the district’s constituents and needs.

If elected, Acosta has said he’d like to serve on the House Agriculture committee, an assignment that would be tailor-made for the district. He would work to boost opportunities in technical education and explore using technology to better secure school perimeters. He would also like to develop new leakage and waterproofing standards for roofs as a way to lower property insurance premiums.

The three other candidates in the race include Gabrielle M. Fox, a 41 year-old small business owner in Palm Beach Gardens and Anthony Aguirre, 40, a Palm Beach Gardens resident who works as an operations manager in the healthcare field. Of the two, Aguirre is the better prepared candidate. If he fails to win the primary, he should continue seeking public office. The fourth candidate, Meg Weinberger, declined to be interviewed by the Post editorial board.

Florida House 94: Vote Tendrich in Democratic primary

Term limits are also forcing a change in Florida House District 89, where state Rep. David Silvers, D-Lake Clarke Shores, has served for eight years and is term-limited from re-election. Two Democratic candidates have qualified for the Aug. 20 primary, and the winner will face Republican Daniel Zapata in the November general elections.

The Palm Beach Post recommends voters choose Debra Tendrich. The 37-year-old Lake Worth resident brings energy and her community involvement has helped her build connections with businesses, faith-based organizations, nonprofits and political groups within the district. which has prepared her for the role as an elected official.

District 89 is a majority Democratic with a growing Hispanic population. It stretches south from West Palm Beach through Lake Clarke Shores, Lake Worth Beach and includes Palm Springs and portions of Greenacres.

Tendrich is a fitness and health educator who founded Eat Better Live Better, a Delray Beach-based nonprofit that provides health food and nutrition advice to children and their families. She would be a reliable Democratic vote in addressing concerns important to the district, like reasonably priced housing, quality public schools, environmental protection, small business support and access to healthcare, reproductive rights and mental health services.

Her priorities include pushing for greater regulation of insurance firms and allowing for more premium discounts for homeowners who invest in measures to reinforce their properties. She’d also support developing down-payment assistance programs for first-time homebuyers and rental assistance programs to ensure individuals and working families looking for apartments and other rental property can afford to live in the communities in which they work.

Destinie Baker Sutton, a 44 year-old attorney, is also running for the seat. Her legal background, volunteer work within the county and stand on issues make her a credible candidate but we believe Tendrich is the better fit for the district.

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