When voters in Wellington cast their ballots in the upcoming general election, they will choose a new state senator to represent the area in Tallahassee.
On the ballot this year for Florida Senate District 26 are two former state representatives hoping to take on a new challenge as a state senator. Republican Rick Roth will go head-to-head with Democrat David Silvers to secure the seat.
Senate District 26 includes almost all of Wellington, extending southeast to the coast from Ocean Ridge to Boca Raton. It also includes the Glades communities of Belle Glade and South Bay.
The seat is currently held by State Sen. Lori Berman, who was elected to the position in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. Berman currently serves as the Senate Minority Leader and will be leaving office due to term limits.
Rick Roth — Roth said that he is running to bring conservative governance to the Florida Senate and help bring about what he sees as needed change. He is a third-generation Palm Beach County farmer and small business owner who has lived in Wellington for 48 years. This lifelong connection to the county, he believes, is needed in the Florida Legislature.
“I have a good reputation for being straightforward, honest and just trying to deal with policy,” Roth said. “I think I can bring some change to the Florida Legislature… There are some things we need to do a little bit differently.”
Agriculture and development are top priorities for Roth. Based on his experience as a farmer, he knows firsthand the challenges that the agriculture industry in the state is facing. Development is one of the key areas he identifies as impacting farmers because it can take away agricultural land, and he wants to do everything to protect the industry.
Similarly, Roth stressed that concurrency, the policy requiring necessary public infrastructure and services to be in place as new development is constructed, is needed to deal with growth in the state, particularly in Palm Beach County.
However, he is not entirely opposed to development. Roth supports building more affordable housing because the county has become too expensive for many people. To further address the affordability concerns of residents, he believes there needs to be some reforms in the property insurance industry. He supports implementing changes that will penalize insurers for not paying out claims and creating legislation that would encourage more competition in the industry to bring down prices.
Before running for the Florida Senate, Roth was a member of the Florida House of Representatives for eight years. In 2016, he was elected to represent District 85 and subsequently won three re-election campaigns, with the final one in District 94 after the 2022 redistricting.
With this previous legislative experience, Roth said that he has developed a reputation as a policy-driven lawmaker who gets things done. He pointed to contributions in revising laws to redirect more government funds to affordable housing and advocating for legislation that would change how food recovery is funded so food banks can negotiate for better prices as examples of his efforts to improve the lives of his constituents.
“I’ve worked on legislation that nobody else worked on and got it passed because once I believe in something, I’m not going to give up until I get it passed,” Roth said.
Roth wants to bring this same level of commitment to the Florida Senate to make the government more transparent and accountable. He asserted that the government spends too much money, and to combat this problem, conservative-oriented policy is needed. With the endorsement of President Donald Trump and the Conservative Political Action Conference, Roth is aiming to continue fighting for responsible fiscal management, property tax relief and agricultural rights.
“I can bring a lot of necessary change that is needed for Palm Beach County and is needed in the State of Florida,” he said. “I’m conservative, I’m a businessperson, I’m very logical and I’m very rational.”
Learn more about Roth at www.rickroth4senate.com.
David Silvers — Silvers describes himself as one of the most effective Democrats in the legislature. After first being elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2016, and serving until 2024, he is hoping to continue the work that he has done over the last decade by becoming a state senator. For Silvers, serving as an elected lawmaker is about people, not politics, so he is pledging to work tirelessly to pass meaningful, impactful legislation.
“My goal is to address human issues across the state, whether or not you’re a Republican, a Democrat or nonpartisan — it doesn’t matter,” Silvers said. “If they’re Florida issues, I want to tackle them, and I want to help.”
Silvers pointed to his record to show how effective he has been while serving as a state representative. He noted that he secured $40 million in appropriations and helped pass several bills.
His biggest accomplishments so far have been his efforts for mental healthcare reform, he said. Silvers has sponsored multiple pieces of legislation targeted at addressing mental health issues among children.
Those include bills requiring mental health facilities receiving minors under the Baker Act to begin a medical evaluation within 12 hours and one that allows school districts to utilize mobile response units and crisis stabilization services as a first line of assistance to children who need mental healthcare.
Outside of mental healthcare reform, Silvers said that affordability is one of the top issues for residents. He believes that property insurance is a large factor in causing these problems. To address this, he said that there needs to be more private insurance companies that could give homeowners more choices. He also would like the Office of Insurance Regulation to do more in investigating complaints to ensure insurance companies are held accountable if they do not pay out claims.
Aside from this, Silvers will prioritize workforce housing to increase the availability of homes that are affordable for Floridians.
To accomplish all these goals, Silvers will be drawing from his experience as a legislator. During his tenure as a state representative, he made sure to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle in both chambers to make progress on legislation — a strategy he is committed to continuing.
“I’m the most qualified individual for this seat because of my effectiveness, my bipartisan leadership, and I want to do whatever I can to improve the State of Florida moving forward,” Silvers said.
If elected, Silvers added that he is ready to hit the ground running. The transition, he believes, will be seamless, and he already has ideas on legislation to continue his policy priorities. He sees a promising future for Florida and wants to be a part of serving the people to get things done that will benefit everyone in the state.
“I’m a native Floridian. I was born here, I was raised here, I was educated here and I love my state through and through,” Silvers said. “I truly do believe that the future is bright for the state, and I’m going to do whatever I can in my power to help Floridians.”
Learn more about Silvers at www.votedavidsilvers.com.
