Election 2024: Incumbent Maria Sachs captures County Commission District 5 seat

(This story has been updated with new information.)

Incumbent Maria Sachs will represent Palm Beach County's District 5 — one of three seats that were open in this year's general election — according to unofficial results published on the county's election website Tuesday.

With 99% of Palm Beach County precincts reporting, Sachs led Republican candidate John Fischer by a margin of 55% to 45%.

Sachs had a total of 68,678 votes, while Fischer had 55,410 votes from a combined 105 precincts.

"I am humbled to receive the results of the people who trust in my judgment to serve them for the next four years," Sachs said. "I look forward to getting back to work on the things that I started four years ago, and making sure that Palm Beach County remains paradise for everyone."

District 5 encompasses a large part of the area west of Boynton Beach to west of Boca Raton.

The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners is made up of seven members who are elected from single-member districts by the voters they represent. Commissioners serve staggered four-year terms and represent the entire county.

➤ Palm Beach County 2024 General Election Results

➤ 2024 Florida General Election Results

Sachs, 75, a Democrat, is the current mayor in Palm Beach County on the commission.

During her campaign, she said her priorities were protecting the Agricultural Reserve, enhancing the well-being of seniors, keeping the cost of living down and addressing traffic and infrastructure needs.

Sachs has served as a prosecutor for the state attorney's office, as an associate attorney at Florida Atlantic University and as partner at her own firm. She has also served two terms in the Florida House of Representatives and two terms in the Florida Senate.

Fischer, 62, is a retired county paramedic firefighter captain and said his priorities were the county budget, county handling of tax dollars and public safety.

He served for 27 years with the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and retired as a captain in 2013.

The board is responsible for enacting countywide laws and authorizing programs and expenditures of county funds. The commissioners also serve as the Child Care Facilities Board, the Solid Waste Authority Governing Board, the Environmental Control Board and the Zoning Board.

The board generally meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month for public hearings and to discuss regular agenda items. Workshops are typically held on the fourth Tuesday of the month.

Jasmine Fernández is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @jasminefernandz. Help support our work. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Election 2024 results: Sachs defeats Fischer for county commission seat