Save Boca candidates sweep Boca Raton City Council seats

Mayoral race heads to recount as candidates remain in virtual dead heat

Mar. 11, 2026 at 2:36am

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In Tuesday's Boca Raton elections, all three City Council seats were won by candidates endorsed by the citizen-led Save Boca movement, which has been critical of the city's development plans. The mayoral race between current council member Andy Thomson and political newcomer Mike Liebelson is headed to a recount, with the two candidates in a virtual dead heat.

Why it matters

The outcome of this election reflects growing tensions in Boca Raton over development and the influence of developers on the city government. The Save Boca-endorsed candidates campaigned on promises to prioritize resident interests over developer influence, and their sweep of the City Council seats suggests strong voter support for this platform. The close mayoral race also highlights the divisive nature of these issues in the community.

The details

In the three City Council races, the Save Boca-endorsed candidates Michelle Grau, Jon Pearlman, and Stacy Sipple all received a majority of the votes, defeating their opponents. Pearlman, the founder of Save Boca, led the charge against the city's controversial One Boca redevelopment plan, which voters rejected in a referendum on Tuesday. The mayoral race between Thomson, who opposed One Boca, and Liebelson, who also campaigned against the project, is too close to call, with a margin of just a few votes triggering an automatic machine recount.

  • The Boca Raton City Council election took place on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
  • The mayoral race recount will take place later this week.

The players

Andy Thomson

A current Boca Raton City Council member who was the lone council member to oppose the One Boca redevelopment project. He is now in a tight race for mayor against political newcomer Mike Liebelson.

Mike Liebelson

A political newcomer who ran for mayor on a platform of ending developer control in Boca Raton and opposing the One Boca project. He is in a virtual dead heat with Andy Thomson in the mayoral race.

Save Boca

A citizen-led movement that has been critical of the city's development plans and pushed for more voter oversight on city land use decisions. The movement endorsed a slate of candidates who swept the City Council races.

Michelle Grau

An accountant and Save Boca-endorsed candidate who won the Boca Raton City Council Seat A.

Jon Pearlman

The founder and face of the Save Boca movement, who won the Boca Raton City Council Seat B.

Stacy Sipple

A political newcomer and Save Boca-endorsed candidate who won the Boca Raton City Council Seat D.

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What they’re saying

“There's a growing sense of mistrust between residents and elected officials, along with real concerns about over-taxation and affordability. Development has outpaced infrastructure, traffic has not been adequately addressed and too many major decisions feel rushed or made without enough transparency or public input.”

— Michelle Grau, Boca Raton City Council Seat A winner (Sun Sentinel)

“I am neither a politician nor on the Planning and Zoning Board. I have no ties to developers, and I will never take developer money. I am a native resident that wants to change the direction our city is moving in.”

— Stacy Sipple, Boca Raton City Council Seat D winner (Sun Sentinel)

What’s next

The mayoral race recount will take place later this week to determine the winner between Andy Thomson and Mike Liebelson.

The takeaway

The sweep of City Council seats by Save Boca-endorsed candidates reflects a strong voter mandate to curb developer influence and prioritize resident interests in Boca Raton's growth and development. The close mayoral race also suggests the community remains deeply divided on these issues, setting the stage for continued political battles ahead.