Andy Thomson will be Boca Raton’s next mayor.
After a machine and hand recount Friday, Thomson had five more votes than Mike Liebelson. That had been Thomson’s margin after Tuesday’s election.
After the machine recount, the lead was down to one. During a hand recount, the canvassing board assigns teams to examine undervotes and overvotes to see if any can count toward the total. Under state law, there must be “clear indication” of the voter’s intent.
It is common in races this close for totals to fluctuate. In 2018, when Thomson ran for a city council seat, he trailed on Election Night. A recount gave him the win by 32 votes.
Liebelson could contest the results, but the standards are high. He would have to show “misconduct, fraud or corruption” by an election official or prove that illegal votes had been cast.
In a news release after the recount, the city confirmed Thomson’s win. He will take office March 31 with new council members Michelle Grau, Jonathan Pearlman and Stacy Sipple.
