The 2022 Election is right around the corner, and on Nov. 8, citizens 18 and older will be heading to the polls to vote. 

Click this link to Palm Beach County’s Elections site to find your voting location. To find more info on free rides to polling locations, click here as places to vote at FAU’s campuses are listed below:

• FAU John D. McArthur Campus 

• FAU Boca Main Campus Arena Lobby 

• Pine Jog Environmental Education Center

Before you go exercise your civic duty, here is a list of candidates running for office statewide and in Palm Beach County, and some of their platforms. All the information listed below is from the candidate’s website.

U.S. Senate

Marco Rubio (R)  (Incumbent)

About: Marco Rubio, who ran unopposed in his primary this year, is seeking re-election. He is a Cuban-American, whose parents immigrated from Cuba in 1965. He has served in the Senate since 2010.

Stances:

• Supports parental rights in education.
• Protection of affordable housing.
• Favors policies that encourage the free market.

Val Demings (D)

About: Having represented the Orlando Police Department as their first female police chief from 2007 to 2011, Val Demings grew up in Jacksonville with both of her parents and six siblings. Since becoming a U.S. representative in 2016, she is running as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate against her conservative opponent Marco Rubio.

Stances:

• Increasing the police budget.
• Defending abortion rights.
• Lowering the cost of prescription drugs.

Dennis Misigoy (L)

About: Dennis Misigoy, representing the Libertarian Party of Florida, is making his first run for U.S. Senate. In 2016, he won his election to Seat 1 for the Board of Supervisors in the Enclave at Black Point Community Development District, a special tax district in Miami-Dade. 

Stances:

• Repealing existing drug laws.
• Decreasing military spending.
• Abolishing the Federal Reserve.

Steven Grant (NPA)

About: Steven Grant, an attorney and the former mayor of Boynton Beach from 2016 to 2022, is running for the U.S. Senate as a non-party affiliated candidate. Earning his master’s degree at Florida Coastal School of Law, he runs on centrism, immigration court reform, and having term limits in Congress. 

Stances:

• Opposes vaccine mandates for private employers.
• Against automatic voter registration.
• Supports private individuals’ freedom regarding health-related choices.

Governor of Florida

Ron DeSantis (R) (Incumbent)

About: Ron DeSantis, who ran unopposed in his primary, is again running for Governor. He started his political career in 2012, first representing Florida’s 6th district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2018 prior to his first run for governor. 

Stances:

• Against abortion in all cases (no exceptions to rape or incest)
• Opposes LGBTQ+ education in all public schools
• Supports de-regulating the economy 

Charlie Crist (D)

About: Charlie Crist, who was a Republican when he served as Florida’s governor from 2007 to 2011, is now re-running for the seat as a Democrat. Since 2017, he has been serving as a U.S. representative in Florida’s 13th district.

Stances:

• Increasing the budget for social programs.
• Expanding funding for public schools.
• Supporting social justice rights for LGBT+ educators.

U.S. House, District 23

Jared Evan Moskowitz (D) 

About: Winning the nomination in the Democratic primary, Jared Evan Moskowitz is making his run for U.S. Congress. He was a former member of the Florida House of Representatives, serving District 97 from 2012 to 2019.

Stances:

• Improving background checks and banning assault weapons.
• Expanding Medicare and protecting Social Security.
• Supports codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law.

Joe Budd (R)

About: Winning the Republican primary in his first run for office, Joe Budd has lived in Boca Raton with his family since 1993. He is a financial advisor as he is currently the chair of the finance committee at CrossBridge Church.

Stances:

• Protecting the parents’ choice to choose the best education for their children.
• Increasing funds for affordable housing.
• Against defunding the police.

Mark Napier (NPA)

About: Having served in the U.S. Army from 1985 to 2011, Mark Napier is making his first run for public office. Getting his bachelor’s degree at Eastern Kentucky University in 1987 and graduate degree from the University of Maryland, University College in 1999, his professional experience comes from his time in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Stances:

• Protecting 2nd Amendment rights.
• Promoting and supporting legislation for LGBTQ+ rights and marriage equality.
• Limiting the annual raises of rent and fees for housing.

Christine Scott (NPA)

About: A California native, Christine Scott is running for office in Florida a second time, this time as a non-party affiliate. Her previous campaign in 2020 saw her run as a Republican.

Stances:

• Supporting gun rights for U.S. citizens.
• Against abortions after the second and third term.
• In favor of ending lobbying in politics.

State Senator, District 26

Lori Berman (D) (Incumbent)

About: Lori Berman served as the Chairperson of the Palm Beach County Delegation, Chair of the Women’s Caucus, as well as a variety of leadership roles in the Democratic Caucus. She has been serving as a state senator since 2018. Before becoming a senator, Berman served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2010 to 2018.

Stances:

• Evaluating who is being sent to prison and why.
• Banning assault weapons.
• Removing anti-abortion laws.

Steve Byers (R)

About: Steve Byers is making his first run for public office, winning the Republican primary with a 58.7% vote. He lives with his family in Delray Beach, as he develops businesses in aviation, real estate, education, beekeeping, and insurance.

Stances:

• Pledges to protect election integrity.
• Supports parents’ choices in education.
• Demands transparency from insurance companies.

State House, District 91

Andy Thomson (D) 

About: Winning the Democratic nomination after incumbent Emily Slosberg decided not to run for re-election, Andy Thomson is seeking to move up from the Boca Raton City Council, which he is a member of, to the Florida House of Representatives. He also teaches a class on local and state politics as an adjunct professor at FAU.

Stances:

• Protecting the environment.
• Fully funding public schools.
• Securing women’s rights.

Peggy Gossett-Seidman (R)

About: Winning the Republican primary with a 52.5% vote, Peggy Gossett-Seidman will take on Andy Thomson in the general election. She represents Highland Beach as its commissioner, as she also serves on the state and county League of City boards as well as various other local and state boards.

Stances:

• Defending individual freedoms and liberties.
• Protecting healthcare access for all Floridians.
• Improving teacher pay and classroom learning.

Savanna Sweeney is a contributing writer for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email savannasween2019@fau.edu