Local Gov

State Attorney

Next Election: August 2020 Primary

Description

The Palm Beach County Constitutional Officers, including Sheriff, Clerk/Comptroller, Property Appraiser, Tax Collector, Supervisor of Elections, State Attorney, and Public Defender are chosen in a county-wide election for a four year term.

Located on the southeast coast, Palm Beach County is the largest of Florida's 67 counties. The County's 2,228 square miles include 1,977 square miles of land and 251 square miles of surface water¹, making it one of the largest counties east of the Mississippi River.

History

Demographics
Registered voters%Rep%DemSummary
976,19928%42%D+14
Average Age%White%Black% Other
5466%14%12%

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Dave Aronberg (D)
INCUMBENT

Background

Dave Aronberg was born in 1971 in Miami and grew up in North Miami. He attended Harvard College and Harvard Law School, receiving his Law degree in 1996.

As an attorney for a large South Florida law firm, Dave was involved with then Insurance Commissioner Bill Nelson, investigating European Insurance companies that refused to honor World War II-era policies sold to victims of the Holocaust. In 1999, he became a Florida Assistant Attorney General for economic crimes, investigating Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of the prescription drug Oxycontin, for its marketing practices and led the State’s lawsuit against “Miss Cleo,” the “Jamaican Shango Shaman Psychic,” who had become an international celebrity. In 2000, Dave served as a White House Fellow and later served in two presidential administrations as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Treasury for international money laundering.

Elected to the 5-county Florida Senate District 27 in 2002, with 69% against Republican Frank Mann, he was re-elected with little opposition by 86% in 2004 and 71% in 2008, and served until term-limited in 2010. As a Senator he worked to secure federal funding for Everglades restoration, worked on consumer protection legislation and restrictions on the diversion of perscription drugs.

In 2009, he ran for Attorney General, losing the Democrat primary to Dan Gelber with slightly under 41% of the vote, but going on to work for the winner in the race, Pam Bondi, as Special Prosecutor for Prescription Drug Trafficking, where he worked against pill mills.

His entry into the State Attorney race in 2012 was not without controversy, as reporting by the Palm Beach Post and others alleged campaign activity while still employed by the AG, and pressure put on both the sitting State Attorney Michael McCauliffe, and another candidate who had contemplated entering the race.

In 2016 and 2020, he had no opponent and was re-elected by default.

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