Defeated Boca Raton mayoral candidate drops libel lawsuit against winner

Mike Liebelson dismisses case against Mayor Andy Thomson after narrow election loss.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 12:52am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A serene, photorealistic painting of a lone ballot box or voting booth set against a backdrop of warm, golden light and deep shadows, conveying a sense of civic duty and political tension.The hard-fought Boca Raton mayoral election exposed deep divisions in the community over the influence of real estate development.Boca Raton Today

The candidate who lost the March 11 Boca Raton mayoral race has dropped his libel lawsuit against the man who beat him. Mike Liebelson on April 6 voluntarily dismissed his lawsuit against Mayor Andy Thomson, a document he filed in Palm Beach County court shows.

Why it matters

The bitter mayoral race revolved around the One Boca project that called for giving a developer a 99-year-lease to 7.8 acres near the Brightline station downtown to build a boutique hotel, a grocery store and 947 residences. Voters rejected ballot measures that would have paved the way for those deals, signaling a shift in the city's political landscape.

The details

Liebelson sued Thomson on March 3, claiming political advertisements by Thomson and his campaign falsely accused him of hiding the names of his campaign donors. The lawsuit also claimed the Thomson campaign sent political mailers saying Liebelson 'pushed to sell off our government campus land' and 'advocated to sell Boca.' Liebelson's lawsuit demanded Thomson and his campaign pay $50,001 to $75,000 in damages.

  • The March 11 Boca Raton mayoral election was held.
  • On March 13, Thomson beat Liebelson by 5 votes after a state-mandated hand recount.
  • On March 26, Liebelson indicated he would not challenge the election results in court.
  • On April 6, Liebelson voluntarily dismissed his libel lawsuit against Thomson.

The players

Mike Liebelson

The candidate who lost the March 11 Boca Raton mayoral election and subsequently filed a libel lawsuit against the winner, which he later dropped.

Andy Thomson

The winner of the March 11 Boca Raton mayoral election, who was sued for libel by the defeated candidate, but the lawsuit was later dropped.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“With candidates skeptical of real estate development winning a majority on the City Council, he said, he accomplished his mission 'to help take Boca Raton back from the influence of big developers.'”

— Mike Liebelson, Defeated mayoral candidate

The takeaway

The dropped libel lawsuit and election results signal a shift in Boca Raton's political landscape, with voters rejecting development deals and electing candidates skeptical of the influence of large real estate interests in the city.