Erica Whitfield’s bid to jump from the Palm Beach County School Board to the County Commission next year is now well-financed and unopposed.
Whitfield’s campaign reported this week that in her first quarter of fundraising, she raised more than $118,000, a haul attributed to over 100 individual contributors.
“I am very grateful for the support I have been receiving from community leaders and elected officials throughout the county,” Whitfield said in a statement.
“My campaign is about listening to people and uniting communities. As your next County Commissioner, I will continue finding solutions to improve the quality of life for Palm Beach County residents.”
Official third-quarter campaign finance reports are due Friday from state, county and municipal candidates competing in regular races.
A native Floridian, Whitfield filed to run[1] for the County Commission’s District 2 seat on July 9. State Rep. Joe Casello, a fellow Democrat, was also seeking the post at the time.
He died of a heart attack[2] 10 days later, drawing bipartisan messages of adoration and triggering an ongoing Special Election to replace him in House District 90.
Whitfield, 47, is running to succeed Commissioner Gregg Weiss, who is running for West Palm Beach Mayor[3]. She has served on the Palm Beach County School Board since 2014.
During her tenure, she developed a reputation as a vocal advocate for student health and safety, fiscal transparency and long-term planning, earning praise for her role in helping the district earn and maintain an “A” rating[4] from the Florida Department of Education.
Her platform for the County Commission race includes:
— Lowering costs through improved budget efficiency and transparency.
— Expanding affordable housing in partnership with public and private entities.
— Supporting public safety by investing in training, equipment and emergency preparedness.
— Modernizing infrastructure through upgraded parks, airport facilities and “workforce development aligned with local university and business growth.”
— Improving transportation through greenways, bike paths and a potential referendum for funding additional mobility provisions.
As a School Board member, Whitfield helped spearhead the passage of the 2016 halfpenny sales tax referendum[5], which generated more than $2.7 billion for school construction, safety upgrades, and technology enhancements.
Before she won her School Board seat, she worked in public health at the Palm Beach County Health Department, led wellness initiatives for the School District’s food services department and managed policy-focused grants aimed at improving childhood health outcomes.
District 2[6] spans all or part of Atlantis, Boynton Beach, Haverhill, Lake Clarke Shores, Lake Worth Beach, West Palm Beach, and a central portion of unincorporated Palm Beach County.
The General Election is on Nov. 3, 2026.
References
- ^ filed to run (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ died of a heart attack (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ running for West Palm Beach Mayor (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ “A” rating (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ 2016 halfpenny sales tax referendum (www.palmbeachpost.com)
- ^ District 2 (discover.pbcgov.org)