Voters in Palm Beach County’s District 4 will choose between Republican incumbent Marci Woodward and Democratic challenger Curtis Calabrese on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The seat covers parts of Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Boynton Beach, along with coastal communities. The winner will serve four-year terms on the seven-member County Commission, which sets the countywide budget, tax rates and development rules.
Woodward, seeking a second term after winning in 2022, is vice mayor of the county. She has focused on transportation planning, affordable housing and land-use decisions. She backs a countywide transportation master plan to coordinate planning across the county’s 39 municipalities, and she has supported exploring improvements to traffic signal systems.
Calabrese, a former Navy pilot and airline captain who graduated from Boca Raton High School in 2008, is campaigning on affordability, responsible development and accountability. He wants growth to pay more of the infrastructure costs it creates and would tie development approvals to road and infrastructure capacity.
On housing, Calabrese proposes using county-owned land for workforce housing for teachers and first responders, through public-private partnerships and long-term leases. Woodward points to down-payment assistance, which she supported during her first term. Both candidates oppose heavy development in the Agricultural Reserve, although Calabrese has also opposed certain major proposals.
The budget debate centers on spending and property taxes. Calabrese favors priority-based budgeting and a review of programs for inefficiency. Woodward has pointed to eliminating long-vacant positions and new revenue ideas such as beach parking, advertising and cell tower leases. She has acknowledged that large property-tax cuts could mean service cuts.
The candidates also disagree on a proposed ocean park in Highland Beach, on county-owned land bought from the Milani family in 1987. Woodward supports the project, citing coastal preservation, a previous legal settlement and archaeological evidence of Native American history. Calabrese opposes the plan as proposed, citing pedestrian safety on State Road A1A and questioning whether the park is needed.
