(Le Floridien) – If Daphne Campbell will be remembered in history as the first Haitian American elected to the Florida State Senate, Mack Bernard has just added his name to the list of ‘firsts’ as well. The current member of the Palm Beach County Commission has won his unopposed bid for Senate District 24, making him the first Haitian American to be elected to the upper house from Palm Beach County.
Since Campbell lost her Miami-Dade District 38 seat reelection bid in 2018 to Jason Pizzo, a wealthy former prosecutor, in the August 28, 2018 Democratic primary, the Haitian community’s representation in the Tallahassee Congress has been reduced to two state representatives: Dotie Joseph (Miami-Dade County – District 108) and Marie Paule Woodson (Broward County – 105th District). Anticipating that both Haitian-American state representatives will win their reelection bids this year, 2024, the Haitian community may see an increase in its representation in Tallahassee, as Palm Beach County Commissioner Mack Bernard is heading back to the Legislature, this time to its upper chamber.
His win on Tuesday comes just over a year after he announced a planned seat swap with Sen. Bobby Powell. Bernard will succeed outgoing Sen. Bobby Powell, a fellow Democrat who is reaching his term limit (2016-2024) and is now seeking Bernard’s County Commission job. It appears that Bernard and Powell managed the political landscape so well that Powell is, so far, unopposed in his bid for the Palm Beach Commission seat.
Bernard’s win on Tuesday comes just over a year after he and Powell confirmed plans for a seat swap during the 2024 election. Powell resigned in mid-April and called on Gov. Ron DeSantis to declare a Special Election for SD 24. DeSantis obliged on May 29. However, the race had a shortened qualifying period that ended at noon on Tuesday (June 11), three days earlier than most other statewide and local races.
“I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to continue my service as a state Senator-elect. I want to thank Sen. Powell for his leadership and advocacy, and the Governor for ensuring that the residents of District 24 do not experience any gaps in representation,” Bernard told a Florida outlet.
“This way, we can address issues facing our residents that I believe are not overly political, such as the housing crisis and inflation. I am honored to have been elected without opposition and look forward to representing my constituents and the residents of Florida,” he added.
Bernard will take his new seat after the General Election in November. First elected in 2008 as a Delray Beach City Commissioner and Deputy Vice Mayor, Bernard secured a seat in the House the following year, serving until 2012. According to his campaign, his tenure in Tallahassee was marked by a focus on job creation, expanding protections for women’s health care and equality, and increasing public education funding. Additionally, he served as President of the Palm Beach County Caucus of Black Elected Officials.
In 2016, he won election to the Palm Beach County Commission, where he served terms as both Mayor and Vice Mayor. While there, his work on affordable housing initiatives won him recognition as “Housing Hero of the Year” from the Housing Leadership Council of Palm Beach County. He also served on the Florida Association of Counties’ Tax, Finance, and Administration Committee and the Florida Elections Commission. His community involvements include serving as Secretary and Treasurer of the Board of Leadership Florida, Chair of the Palm Beach Homeless Advisory Board, and Chair and Vice Chair of the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County, among others.
Since June 2023, Bernard has raised more than $271,000 to support his SD 24 campaign, spending less than $32,000 through May 31. SD 24 spans a large portion of Palm Beach County’s coast from Hypoluxo to North Palm Beach. Palm Beach Commission District 7, the area Bernard currently represents and that Powell is running to serve, includes all or part of Briny Breezes, Delray Beach, Gulf Stream, Hypoluxo, Lantana, Mangonia Park, Palm Beach, Palm Beach Shores, Riviera Beach, South Palm Beach, and West Palm Beach.
