PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Palm Beach County's District 6 commission seat is up for grabs on Nov. 8.
Republican small business owner Sara Baxter and Democratic 20-year public servant Michelle Oyola McGovern are going head-to-head in the race.
District 6 is a large district that covers the majority of western Palm Beach County.
The candidates know the issues that voters care about are no different than those at the national and state level.
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"People ask me quite a bit, they say, 'What can you bring?'" Baxter said. "It's always the same. It's the small business experience."
Both candidates are Palm Beach County mothers who know families are struggling financially.
"Hands down [the most important issue is] affordability, it's access to housing," Oyola McGovern. "That housing bond gives us an opportunity to help … get more inventory."
"I definitely wouldn't vote for either of the county bonds because, again, it's going to add more tax burden to the residents, and now is just not the time for that," Baxter said.
Baxter is a former teacher and small business owner who aims to make cuts to the county budget to alleviate tax burdens.
"When looking at a budget, I want everyone to know my top priorities are the essential services," Baxter said. "I support police officers, firefighters."
Oyola McGovern has been a public servant for 20 years, working as the statewide director for former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson. She said helping people live where they work is her priority.
"We need to use every tool in the toolbox to create better access to housing for our teachers, for our first responders, for everybody," Oyola McGovern said.
Baxter is riding on the momentum of Republican candidates, which has spread across the state this election season.
However, Oyola McGovern has the advantage that voters chose Democrat Melissa McKinlay for the seat in the last two terms.
The two hope their unique backgrounds will appeal to the voters and get them elected to the county commission.
"My background in health care for 10 years, I have grown a business from the ground up. I worked 16-hour days to make that happen. I became a real estate agent on the side. I've been a middle school science teacher," Baxter said. "I mean, when you are trying to make decisions for the residents, I believe they are best served by somebody who can relate to a lot of the problems they've been having
"I think what voters are looking for is someone who can hit the ground running on day one, and I bring that experience to the table," Oyola McGovern said. "I would be the first Latina elected to the county commission. That bears some responsibility. That is a lens that has never been on that dais ever before. I'm looking forward to being that person."
