This was unbelieveable.
In a stunning political upset in South Florida, Democrat Andy Thomson has been officially declared the winner of the Boca Raton mayoral race—ending more than three decades of Republican control of the office.
The razor-thin victory is drawing national attention because of how close the race was and because it happened in a state where President Donald Trump won by double digits in the 2024 election.
Ultra-Close Election Comes Down to Just Five Votes
The Boca Raton mayor’s race turned into one of the tightest elections in Florida history.
Thomson faced Republican candidates Mike Liebelson and Fran Nachlas in the municipal contest. When the votes were first counted, the margin was so small that Florida law required an automatic machine recount.
Initially, that recount narrowed the gap to just one vote.
Election officials then conducted a manual review of ballots, including overvotes and undervotes. After the review, Thomson’s lead expanded slightly.
The final certified results showed:
- Andy Thomson: 7,572 votes
- Mike Liebelson: 7,567 votes
That means the entire election was decided by just five votes.
Recount Process Draws Scrutiny
The extremely tight result immediately triggered scrutiny of the recount process.
Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Wendy Link confirmed the final vote totals on Friday and defended the recount process as accurate and transparent.
However, Republican candidate Mike Liebelson raised concerns about some ballots that were counted for Thomson during the manual review.
According to reports from the Palm Beach Post, Liebelson said he may still consider challenging the results legally.
When asked about the possibility of a court challenge, he told reporters he would “sleep on it” before deciding his next steps.
Surprise Result in Trump-Friendly State
The election result surprised many observers because Florida has moved increasingly Republican in recent years.
President Donald Trump carried the state comfortably in the 2024 election, strengthening the GOP’s hold on statewide politics.
However, Palm Beach County remains politically competitive, and voting patterns there often differ from the rest of the state.
According to election data reported by CNN, former Vice President Kamala Harris narrowly carried Palm Beach County by less than one percentage point in the 2024 presidential race.
Boca Raton sits about 30 minutes south of Palm Beach, the home of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, making the upset even more notable to political observers.
First Democrat-Aligned Mayor in Over 30 Years
According to Florida Politics, this marks the first time in more than three decades that a Democrat-aligned candidate has held the Boca Raton mayor’s office.
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried praised Thomson’s victory, calling it an important moment for Democrats seeking to compete in local races across the state.
She said the narrow margin shows how every vote can matter in close elections, particularly in local contests where turnout is often lower.
City Confirms New Leadership
Following the recount, the City of Boca Raton confirmed Thomson as the official winner of the mayor’s race.
In addition to the mayoral contest, voters also selected several new members of the city council during the municipal election.
The newly elected officials include:
- Mayor: Andy Thomson
- City Council Seat A: Michelle Grau
- City Council Seat B: Jon Pearlman
- City Council Seat D: Stacy Sipple
City officials announced that the new mayor and council members will be sworn in during an organizational meeting scheduled for March 31, 2026.
Why This Local Race Is Getting National Attention
Although mayoral elections are technically nonpartisan, the Boca Raton race is already attracting interest from political strategists ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The extremely close outcome highlights how local elections can be decided by only a handful of votes, especially in rapidly growing communities.
For both political parties, the race is a reminder that grassroots organizing and voter turnout can play a decisive role—even in places where one party has dominated for decades.