State Gov

State Senate District 34

Next Election: November 2018

Description

District 34 runs along the coast from Boynton Beach to Fort Lauderdale, with roughly equal parts in Broward and Palm Beach counties. In Broward it is all east of I95, but stretches west to the turnpike from Boca north to Atlantic Avenue and follows Jog from Atlantic to Boynton Beach Boulevard, then Military trail north to Hypoluxo Road. In Palm Beach it includes most of Boynton, Delray Beach, Highland Beach, and Boca Raton. In Broward it has parts of the coastal portions fo Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach Hillboro and Lighthouse Point, Lauderdale by the Sea, and Oakland Park.

History

With the exception of the section west of Boca to Boynton, which includes Kings Point and had been part of Maria Sachs FS30, the current district contains much of the southern part of Ellyn Bogdanoff's old FS25. It thus combines the coastal communities with some high density urban areas west of I95, a blend of Republican and Democrat strongholds. The redistricting resulted in a faceoff between Bogdanoff and Sachs in what had become a D+9 district. FS25, when it included the northern portion, including Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens, was held by Republican CFO (and past Senate President) Jeff Atwater since its inception in 2002. until term limits opened the seat and Bogdanoff captured it with 56% against Democrat Kelly Skidmore. Atwater was unopposed in 2004 and won 65% against Democrat Linda Bird in 2008. What was a safe Republican seat is no more, thanks to amendments 5/6 and the actions of the Legislature.

Demographics
Registered voters%Rep%DemSummary
358,22932%41%D+ 9
Average Age%White%Black% Hispanic
5781%7%6%

View FS34 in a larger map

Maria Sachs (D)
INCUMBENT

Background

Maria Sachs was born in Battle Creek Michigan and has lived in Southeast Asia with her military father, and she has been a lecturer in international Politics for the University of Maryland at military bases in Europe and North Africa. She received a Law degree from the University of Miami and has practiced in Boca Raton and Delray Beach.

Maria has served in the Legislature since 2006 but has faced no real opposition since the Democrat Primary of that year where she was elected to House District 86 with 34% in a four way race and no general election opposition. She received 82% against an NPA candidate in 2008, and running for the State Senate in 2010, she was unopposed in both the primary and the general. In 2012, she defeated Republican Ellyn Bogdanoff, also a sitting Senator, with 53% of the vote.

In the Senate, she has positions on the Budget Subcommittee on Finance and Tax, Appropriations, Higher Education, and others, and has veen Vice Chair of Regulated Industries.

In the 2012 session she opposed the redistricting plan, school vouchers, state employee drug testing, and private correctional facilities.

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