An Analysis of the 2017 PBG Council Election

March 20, 2017

The March 14 municipal elections in Palm Beach Gardens yielded a pair of winners – Dr. Mark Marciano in Group 1 and Matthew Lane in Group 3. No candidate got a majority in the four way race in Group 5, so Rachelle Litt and Joe Russo will meet in a runoff on 3/28.

In Group 1, the seat currently held by Bert Premuroso, Dr. Marciano performed strongly in most areas of the city, winning by 33 points with 66% of the vote. A long time participant in city government, Mark served on the budget committee for quite a few years and is a regular at city council meetings. His challenger, Michael Paolercio, a newcomer to city politics came closest in Frenchman’s Reserve and Creek, where he lives.

In Group 2, the seat currently held by Eric Jablin, Matthew Lane avoided a runoff in the three way race by capturing 50.2% – a majority by 13 votes. Matthew, who entered the race over a year ago has also been a regular at council meetings and is active in many local civic organizations. Of his two challengers, Quicken Loans founder and past Senate candidate Ron Berman did well in the Gardens last fall, but was a newcomer to city issues and that may have come across. Challenger Katie Gettinger has been active in local issues and a regular at council meetings, but her lightly funded campaign did not do any direct mail or put up signs, possibly limiting her exposure to the voters.

In Group 5, the seat currently held by Mayor Marcie Tinsley, Pharmacist Rachelle Litt and tech enterpreneur Joe Russo won 37% and 34% of the vote respectively, advancing to the runoff election on 3/28. Of the others in this four way race, challenger Kevin Easton, who has run for Council several times before and was a principal in advancing term limits in the Gardens, polled 9% while retired Attorney George Wicker won 20%. Mr. Wicker did especially well in BallenIsles (where he lives), getting 51% of the vote there, 41% of his total vote count. Mr. Wicker also won Frenchman’s Reserve and Creek by 12 votes over Rachelle Litt.

Go to Group 1
Go to Group 3
Go to Group 5

Group 1

Group 1
Strong Marciano Weak Marciano Very Close Weak Paolercio Strong Paolercio
Click the precinct on the map for vote totals.

Precinct Registered Votes Cast Turnout % Marciano Paolercio Marciano
Margin
1186 1428 238 17 167 66 71.7
1188 867 68 8 41 26 61.2
1189 73 15 21 3 12 20.0
1190 3158 346 11 225 111 67.0
1192 1474 187 13 134 51 72.4
1194 2024 620 31 316 296 51.6
1238 1668 348 21 218 124 63.7
1240 2483 404 16 289 106 73.2
1242 2488 531 21 378 121 75.8
1244 1539 254 17 175 70 71.4
1246 2377 305 13 166 132 55.7
1247 221 51 23 9 40 18.4
1248 1488 259 17 169 82 67.3
1250 61 14 23 6 7 46.2
1252 2349 1010 43 544 332 62.1
1254 454 66 15 51 11 82.3
1260 1320 186 14 127 54 70.2
1266 479 5 1 2 3 40.0
1268 294 11 4 7 4 63.6
1272 1912 256 13 171 77 69.0
1274 1590 237 15 159 58 73.3
1280 396 47 12 26 21 55.3
1284 2287 184 8 135 42 76.3
1288 37 3 8 2 1 66.7
1290 2114 258 12 196 58 77.2
1292 67 24 36 22 2 91.7
1296 733 45 6 25 19 56.8
1324 1287 82 6 55 26 67.9
1326 553 79 14 61 17 78.2
1340 11 1 9 1 100.0
1352 2202 222 10 145 68 68.1
1360 882 116 13 71 41 63.4
1372 156 6 4 5 100.0
TOTAL 40492 6478 16 4101 2078 66.4

Group 3

Group 3
Strong Lane Weak Lane Very Close Weak Berman/Gettinger Strong Berman/Gettinger
Click the precinct on the map for vote totals.

Precinct Registered Votes Cast Turnout % Berman Gettinger Lane Lane
Margin
1186 1428 238 17 58 25 149 64.2
1188 867 68 8 18 27 22 32.8
1189 73 15 21 8 3 1 8.3
1190 3158 346 11 100 85 146 44.1
1192 1474 187 13 39 35 107 59.1
1194 2024 620 31 181 50 341 59.6
1238 1668 348 21 95 33 207 61.8
1240 2483 404 16 125 49 221 55.9
1242 2488 531 21 130 75 303 59.6
1244 1539 254 17 62 38 135 57.4
1246 2377 305 13 79 119 102 34.0
1247 221 51 23 40 2 7 14.3
1248 1488 259 17 72 75 103 41.2
1250 61 14 23 3 2 9 64.3
1252 2349 1010 43 417 90 394 43.7
1254 454 66 15 11 2 48 78.7
1260 1320 186 14 49 41 88 49.4
1266 479 5 1 1 4 80.0
1268 294 11 4 4 5 2 18.2
1272 1912 256 13 74 69 105 42.3
1274 1590 237 15 66 73 87 38.5
1280 396 47 12 13 12 20 44.4
1284 2287 184 8 51 36 87 50.0
1288 37 3 8 3 100.0
1290 2114 258 12 65 47 142 55.9
1292 67 24 36 4 6 9 47.4
1296 733 45 6 19 17 9 20.0
1324 1287 82 6 28 22 32 39.0
1326 553 79 14 16 17 43 56.6
1340 11 1 9 1 0.0
1352 2202 222 10 59 46 106 50.2
1360 882 116 13 29 35 50 43.9
1372 156 6 4 2 2 2 33.3
TOTAL 40492 6478 16 1918 1139 3084 50.2

Group 5

Group 5
Strong Litt Weak Litt Very Close Weak Russo Strong Russo
Click the precinct on the map for vote totals.

Precinct Registered Votes Cast Turnout % Easton Litt Russo Wicker Litt/Russo
Margin
1186 1428 238 17 20 127 61 24 67.6
1188 867 68 8 13 22 23 10 48.9
1189 73 15 21 2 13 13.3
1190 3158 346 11 32 119 153 31 43.8
1192 1474 187 13 10 70 73 28 49.0
1194 2024 620 31 53 186 132 198 58.5
1238 1668 348 21 17 161 104 54 60.8
1240 2483 404 16 17 206 132 43 60.9
1242 2488 531 21 25 242 169 77 58.9
1244 1539 254 17 17 104 110 20 48.6
1246 2377 305 13 59 111 97 35 53.4
1247 221 51 23 3 40 8 7.0
1248 1488 259 17 31 104 89 35 53.9
1250 61 14 23 2 6 2 4 75.0
1252 2349 1010 43 11 172 307 515 35.9
1254 454 66 15 4 30 21 10 58.8
1260 1320 186 14 42 69 58 16 54.3
1266 479 5 1 4 1 0.0
1268 294 11 4 1 2 3 5 40.0
1272 1912 256 13 72 76 84 22 47.5
1274 1590 237 15 37 71 110 15 39.2
1280 396 47 12 7 19 14 5 57.6
1284 2287 184 8 11 89 61 18 59.3
1288 37 3 8 2 1 0.0
1290 2114 258 12 21 107 93 32 53.5
1292 67 24 36 5 15 1 25.0
1296 733 45 6 12 21 9 3 70.0
1324 1287 82 6 10 19 44 8 30.2
1326 553 79 14 8 41 27 3 60.3
1340 11 1 9 1 0.0
1352 2202 222 10 25 88 86 21 50.6
1360 882 116 13 18 41 37 20 52.6
1372 156 6 4 3 2 1 66.7
TOTAL 40492 6478 16 578 2315 2175 1263 51.6