North County election results: Wheeler is new Juno Beach mayor amid high voter turnout

JUNO BEACH — Vice Mayor Peggy Wheeler is the new mayor of Juno Beach, according to preliminary results from the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office.

Wheeler defeated incumbent Mayor Alexander Cooke with about 55% of the vote in the first election where voters directly chose their town's mayor. In the past, the Town Council had chosen one of its members to fill the position.

In the other Juno Beach Town Council race, town Planning Board chair Diana Davis defeated Dean G. Anthon, according to preliminary results. Davis received about 63% of the vote. Anthon was making his first run for town office.

Palm Beach County election results: Click here to learn who won in each municipality

Turnout was unusually high for a March election, with nearly 1,500 voters — almost half of the town's electorate —turned out to cast ballots.

““I have to be a unifying force on the council,” said Davis, 62, Tuesday night as she celebrated the win at home with her supporters.

Davis said that during her term, she wants to create a master plan and a strategic plan for Juno Beach to “establish benefits” for residents.

This wasn’t her first time running for the post. Davis ran against DD Halpern in 2021 but lost in a runoff.

Two Town Council candidates, Jacob Rosengarten in Seat 3 and Halpern in Seat 4, ran unopposed.

The Town Council campaigns were marked by at least four political action committees that inserted themselves into the races.

They blitzed residents with mailers accusing candidates of various offenses, many centered around their views on growth and development. The PACs' activities rose to the point where some candidates and voters thought they were driving an election usually decided by a few hundred residents.

Lake Park: Runoff ahead for Town Commission position

Michael Hensley and Rafael Moscoso appear to be headed to a runoff for a vacant seat on the Town Commission.

One of the four candidates running for the council seat this cycle must garner 50% plus one of the vote to win the election.

Hensley received about 45% of the vote for the one-year seat, compared to 32% that went to Moscoso. Other candidates in the race were Anne Lynch, a former Town Commission member, and Hollis Langer.

About 15% of Lake Park's 4,000 voters cast ballots in the Tuesday election.

North Palm Beach: Orlando Puyol wins seat on Village Council

Orlando Puyol defeated William Luzuriagga, according to preliminary results, receiving about 72% of the vote.

Four seats on the Village Council were up for election this year, three of them because of resignations from the board in December. Three of them saw candidates run unopposed: Deborah Searcy, the incumbent in Seat 1, and newcomers Kristin Garrison and Lisa Interlandi for Seats 4 and 5, respectively.

About 25% of the village's 9,400 registered voters cast ballots.

Puyol, 70, said the win "feels surreal.” He believes he is the first Cuban American to hold a seat on the village council.

“Until you see (residents) show up to the polls, you don’t know whether you’ve connected with them,” Puyol said. “What I saw tonight was that all the work I put in explaining my position on issues … they believed me.”

He said that he visited a precinct late this afternoon and a steady stream of voters all waved at him.

Puyol previously ran for council, but lost to Darryl Aubrey in 2022.

He said he wants the village to pay attention to the basics: following its master plan, maintaining its infrastructure and helping North Palm Beach Country Club stand more on its own.

Tequesta: Rick Sartory heads to first elected term on Village Council

Rick Sartory, an incumbent, defeated Jessica Namath for Seat 5 on the Tequesta Village Council, according to preliminary results.

Sartory was appointed to fill a vacant seat on the Village Council in April 2023. He received about 60% of the vote, preliminary results show.

Jayson French, a West Palm Beach Fire Rescue firefighter for the past 17 years, ran unopposed for Seat 1.

About 25% of the village's 4,500 registered voters cast ballots.

Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: North County election results: Peggy Wheeler is new Juno Beach mayor