With less than a week until Election Day, Republican incumbent Sara Baxter and Democratic challenger Katherine Waldron are making their final pitches to voters in the Palm Beach County Commission District 6 race. Both spoke separately with WPTV reporter Michael Hoffman about affordability, development and traffic, transparency and the debate over AI data centers in western Palm Beach County.
Baxter is seeking another term on the commission, and her time in District 6 is her first elected political office. She has been endorsed by President Donald Trump. Waldron previously served as a Port of Palm Beach commissioner and one term in the Florida House.
Waldron said residents feel they are not being heard and that the county lacks transparency. She also questioned whether enough is being done to reduce the effects of development on schools, traffic and quality of life. Baxter said she has tried to fight for residents even when they disagree with one another, and she pointed voters to her past votes and commission meetings. She noted that the seven-member commission makes decisions collectively.
The candidates agree on one contentious issue. Both oppose Project Tango, a proposed massive AI data center near the Arden community and a new elementary school.
Asked what they respect about each other, both candidates praised the willingness to serve the public. Baxter said the job is harder than people think, and Waldron acknowledged that her opponent has likely had tough days. Both urged residents to vote.
