Since November, Democrats have left the rolls or been moved to inactive status at a rate five times higher than Republicans. Yet another challenge for Democrats is keeping their voters. Democrats have a solid candidate, Greenacres Mayor Joel Flores, to run for one of the commission seats. Republicans seized two County Commission seats that were held by Democrats and a Boca-based House seat where a strong Democrat, Andy Thomson, lost to Republican Peggy Gossett-Seidman. In an email for Democratic donations, she called her county “the home of the nation’s most notorious sexual abuser.”įor Palm Beach Democrats, 2022 was dismal locally, too. She’s raising money online, training volunteers to register voters, and phone banking for next week’s closely watched mayoral race in Jacksonville. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, praised Koch for taking “some bold actions.” “Mindy is exactly what our county needs.” She wouldn’t deal with these problems,” Gannon said, praising Koch’s communications skills. “Terrie was a cheerleader instead of a leader. One of Palm Beach County’s longest-serving and popular Democrats, Tax Collector Anne Gannon, supports Koch, and said she’s better than her predecessor, Terrie Rizzo. If rank-and-file Democrats spent as much time and energy fighting Republicans as they do each other, Republicans would be in big trouble. But that won’t put a Democrat in the Governor’s Mansion.

Refusing to let it go, Rourk said online meetings are more family-friendly, more considerate of older people who won’t drive at night, and people who have disabilities. “She’s approaching this like she’s a teacher, that she needs to teach all of us how to do it right.” “I wish she would just let it go,” Rourk said. Sean Rourk of Palm Beach Gardens, the local party vice chairman, who also won by one vote, was critical of Koch’s handling of logistics.

(Does this sound like a place that’s prepared to deliver a victory for Joe Biden next year and take out Sen. I wanted to see it for myself, but nobody bothered to push the record button. The May meeting was a fiasco, as tech-challenged party members held scrawled, hand-written questions up to their phones while others were unable to unmute themselves.

The compromise result is a hybrid of remote and in-person attendance. But Koch, with a nudge from state party chair Nikki Fried, urged a return to in-person meetings. Case in point: Party progressives insisted on virtual Zoom party meetings every month.

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