Palm Beach County voters will choose a Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller on Nov. 3, and the countywide race has drawn close attention since the incumbent was suspended and arrested in August. Democrat Yvette Drucker, a Boca Raton City Council member and former deputy mayor, is running against Republican Mike Caruso, a former state representative who was appointed clerk in 2025. Caruso has denied five felony charges, and he is presumed innocent.
The clerk runs the county’s court records, court-related payments, property records and marriage licenses. As comptroller, the office also helps monitor county spending and keeps financial records, so the post touches property owners, people with court cases and taxpayers in Boca Raton and across the county.
Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Caruso from his official duties after the arrest. Shannon Ramsey-Chessman, a former chief deputy clerk, was appointed to serve as clerk ad interim. Caruso’s suspension did not remove him from the ballot, according to Florida Politics. The deadline to replace his name passed after the Republican primary results were finalized. If he withdraws, the party may name a replacement, but his name would still be printed, and votes for him would count for that replacement.
Voters weighing the race can look at Drucker’s City Council record, Caruso’s background in state government and accounting, and each candidate’s proposals on fraud prevention, court services, technology and financial oversight. The office promotes a Property Fraud Alert program that notifies participating owners about possible fraudulent activity involving their property records.
Residents can check the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections for polling places, early voting dates and ballot details.
