Democrat Wins Boca Raton Mayoral Race by 5 Votes

Recount confirms narrow victory for Andy Thompson in Trump-friendly Florida city

Mar. 13, 2026 at 10:27pm

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After two recounts, Democrat Andy Thompson has officially won the mayoral race in Boca Raton, Florida, defeating his Republican opponent Mike Liebelson by just 5 votes. The election in the Palm Beach County city, located near former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence, had been closely watched as a potential Democratic flip in a traditionally Republican-leaning area.

Why it matters

The narrow Democratic victory in the Boca Raton mayoral race highlights the continued political competitiveness of traditionally Republican-leaning areas in Florida, even as the state has trended more conservative in recent years. The result could embolden Democrats to target other local offices in the state, while also fueling Republican concerns about the integrity of mail-in voting.

The details

The initial vote count on Tuesday had Thompson leading Liebelson by 6 votes, 7,562 to 7,556. After a machine recount and then a hand recount, the margin narrowed slightly to 5 votes, with Thompson prevailing 7,562 to 7,557. Liebelson has suggested without evidence that the result could have been "rigged" due to a "dump" of 109 mail-in ballots late in the election, but has not yet decided whether to mount a legal challenge.

  • The initial vote count was conducted on Tuesday, March 12, 2026.
  • A machine recount was conducted on Friday, March 13, 2026.
  • A hand recount was conducted on Saturday, March 14, 2026.

The players

Andy Thompson

A Democrat and six-year city councilman who won the Boca Raton mayoral race.

Mike Liebelson

The Republican candidate who lost the Boca Raton mayoral race to Thompson by 5 votes.

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What they’re saying

“The people of Boca deserve to have honest elections, and we had a situation where 109 vote by mail ballots were dumped in.”

— Mike Liebelson (The Palm Beach Post)

What’s next

Liebelson has said he will "sleep on it" before deciding whether to mount a legal challenge to the election results.

The takeaway

The narrow Democratic victory in the traditionally Republican Boca Raton mayoral race underscores the continued political competitiveness of Florida, even as the state has trended more conservative in recent years. The result could embolden Democrats to target other local offices in the state, while also fueling Republican concerns about mail-in voting integrity.