A hotly contested mayoral race is dividing Palm Beach County Democrats, leading to allegations that colleagues are being duped, if not turning their backs on the party. And last week it prompted a doubling-down on loyalty oaths by the party s county leadership.
At issue is that some Democratic precinct leaders are supporting a former
Republican for mayor of Delray Beach.
At least seven precinct leaders throughout the county have spoken out in favor of Tracy Caruso, who changed her voter registration from Republican to no party affiliation one day after registering her Delray mayoral
candidacy in November.
In some cases, the precinct leaders said they were not so much supporting Caruso as opposing her opponent incumbent Shelly Petrolia. And, they said, they were doing so out of frustration over the inattentiveness of the county s Democratic establishment to their views and the needs of Black constituents.