Sara Baxter
Incumbent District 6 commissioner; won the Aug. 18 Republican primary.
How they got on the ballot: Won Aug 18 Republican primary (WPTV)
Campaign finance: state and county candidates file with the Florida Division of Elections or the county Supervisor of Elections. Search contributions ↗
Sources last checked 2026-10-02. 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.
Taxes & spending Leans agree· stated position
Lists lowering tax rates and fees and reducing wasteful spending as priorities.
Property taxes Strongly agrees· stated position
At a Sept. 23, 2026 candidate forum in Wellington and in follow-up coverage, Baxter said she supports Amendment 3, the November state measure expanding homestead property-tax exemptions, and argued the county can absorb the revenue loss by cutting spending. She named Palm Tran's roughly $174 million budget as money she would redirect into a voucher-style transit system.
"It would force us to take a look at our budgets and get rid of waste."
Growth & development Leans agree· based on record
Baxter initiated a one-year moratorium on new hyperscale AI data centers in unincorporated Palm Beach County, which the commission gave final unanimous approval on Sept. 24, 2026. The measure adds a definition of large-scale data centers to the county land-development code and pauses new facilities with a peak electrical load of at least 50 megawatts.
"This temporary moratorium will allow sufficient time to evaluate the potential impact of these facilities."
No public position found on 4 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Housing affordability, Environment & water, Crime & policing, 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
- Roads, traffic signals and the Okeechobee Boulevard extension — Baxter said the county has begun installing smart traffic signals and that she secured a fully funded five-year road program for the first time in 12 years. She said she would oppose extending Okeechobee Boulevard if it threatens the rural character of Loxahatchee. On hyperscale data centers, which she moved to put under a one-year moratorium, she said she would defer to residents: "I refuse to say, 'I know better than they do.'"
- Palm Tran and Amendment 3 — Reaffirmed full support for Amendment 3; proposes cutting about $100 million of the county's $175 million Palm Tran contribution and giving able-bodied riders ride-share vouchers.
- Fundraising — Stet News reported about $595,204 raised (vs. about $187,775 for Waldron).
- Poll — Stet News cited a September Beacon Insights poll showing Waldron 52%, Baxter 37% (margin of error 5.25 points).
Record: votes, actions and documented facts
- A whistleblower complaint by a former county staffer, filed shortly before the Aug. 18 primary and now under investigation by the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics, alleges Baxter pressured the staffer to pursue a relationship with a wealthy donor. Baxter denies it ('Never have, never would, and it goes against everything I believe in') and has called it a political smear she attributes to her opponent's camp.
- Voted with a unanimous commission on Sept. 24, 2026 for final approval of a one-year moratorium on new hyperscale AI data centers in unincorporated Palm Beach County; she brought the proposal forward. In an election-spotlight interview four days later she described her approach as a zoning question, saying data centers should be reclassified from light to heavy industrial.