Mack Bernard
Bernard, a West Palm Beach Democrat and former Palm Beach County commissioner and state representative, has held SD 24 since the 2024 election, succeeding Sen. Bobby Powell, and is seeking re-election.
How they got on the ballot: No Democratic primary opponent reported (Ballotpedia).
Campaign finance: state and county candidates file with the Florida Division of Elections or the county Supervisor of Elections. Search contributions ↗
Sources last checked 2026-10. Report an error ↗
Positions on the major issues
Compare with opponents →Each entry describes what the candidate has said or done, and what they say they will do, in neutral terms with sources. The chip shows how that relates to the statement voters rate in the matching tool.
Property taxes Leans agree· based on record
Voted for CS/HJR 1-F (2026), the June 2026 joint resolution that placed Amendment 3 on the ballot to raise the non-school homestead exemption to $250,000 by 2028 and let counties and cities exempt homesteads entirely; because the vote sent the question to voters rather than cutting taxes itself, a vote for it is coded as leaning toward sharply reducing homestead property taxes rather than as full agreement.
Housing affordability Strongly agrees· based on record
As a Palm Beach County commissioner, Bernard says he championed policies to add workforce and affordable housing, and he was named Housing Hero of the Year by the Housing Leadership Council of Palm Beach County in 2023. In the Senate he voted for CS/CS/SB 1730 (2025), which expanded where affordable and mixed-use housing may be built (passed 37-0).
Immigration Strongly disagrees· based on record
Voted against SB 2-C (2025), the February 2025 special-session immigration law that created a State Board of Immigration Enforcement, made entering Florida as an unauthorized immigrant a state crime and required local cooperation with federal detention.
Guns Leans agree· based on record
Bernard voted against CS/CS/HB 757 (2026), the school-safety law that lets public colleges and universities join the armed school guardian program and creates a felony for firing a gun within 1,000 feet of a school. It passed the Senate 26-10 on March 11, 2026.
Elections & voting Strongly agrees· based on record
Bernard voted against CS/HB 1205 (2025), which added new rules and penalties for citizen-initiative petition circulation (final Senate vote 28-9, May 2, 2025), and against CS/CS/HB 991 (2026), which requires election officials to verify and record voters' U.S. citizenship status (passed the Senate 27-12, March 12, 2026).
Crime & policing Leans agree· based on record
Bernard voted for CS/CS/SB 1804 (2025), which created the capital felony of human trafficking of children under 12 or mentally incapacitated persons for sexual exploitation. It passed the Senate 27-11 on April 28, 2025, with Democrats split.
No public position found on 12 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Taxes & spending, Property insurance, Abortion, Health care, Education & school choice, Environment & water, Growth & development, Marijuana, Gender identity laws, Energy & utilities, Trump administration, Veterans. This is reported as unknown rather than guessed from party affiliation; these issues are excluded from this candidate's match score.
Other issues this candidate has raised
No additional issues found in public statements as of the last data review.
Record: votes, actions and documented facts
- Voted for CS/HJR 1-F (2026), the June 2026 joint resolution that placed Amendment 3 on the ballot to raise the non-school homestead exemption to $250,000 by 2028 and let counties and cities exempt homesteads entirely; because the vote sent the question to voters rather than cutting taxes itself, a vote for it is coded as leaning toward sharply reducing homestead property taxes rather than as full agreement.Sources: Bill page · Roll-call vote
- Voted against SB 2-C (2025), the February 2025 special-session immigration law that created a State Board of Immigration Enforcement, made entering Florida as an unauthorized immigrant a state crime and required local cooperation with federal detention.Sources: Bill page · Roll-call vote
Endorsements (as reported)
- Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Florida East Coast Chapter
- Palm Beach Post Editorial Board