Wellington Vice Mayor Michael Napoleone has officially announced his candidacy for mayor of Wellington. On Tuesday, Aug. 2, Napoleone filed paperwork to become an official candidate. The election will be held Tuesday, March 19, 2024.
“I’m running for mayor to continue serving the community I love. Wellington is on the right track, and we must make sure we continue to address resident priorities and concerns,” Napoleone said. “During my time on the council, I have made public safety a priority, voted to keep taxes low, and supported long-term investment in our parks, public schools and roadways. Wellington is a great hometown, and we need to continue to focus on what we do well — and then keep doing it better, so that future generations will want to call Wellington home.”
The mayor’s seat is open, due to incumbent Mayor Anne Gerwig being term limited. She is instead running for a state house seat.
As mayor, Napoleone will continue working to maintain Wellington’s unique charm and family-oriented character, while ensuring that it remains the premier community in Palm Beach County for years to come. He said that his eight years on the council has proven that he is the best candidate for the job.
From helping Wellington recover from the economic effects of COVID-19 and keeping the village running seamlessly during hurricanes, to managing growth and protecting greenspace, Napoleone said that he is the only candidate with real, on-the-job experience to keep Wellington a top-rated community.
As vice mayor, Napoleone has been devoted to developing a long-range vision for Wellington that addresses resident concerns while looking toward the future needs of the community. He said that he believes resident input and a transparent and inclusive government are key to ensuring that decisions are made with the best interests of the community at the forefront.
Napoleone is an accomplished attorney with a strong passion for Wellington’s community. He was elected to the council in 2016. A longtime resident of Wellington, he and his wife Cyndi chose the village as the perfect place to start a family. Together they are raising two sons, Christopher and Luca, who both attended public schools in Wellington.
As a lawyer, Napoleone represents businesses and individuals in complex business, probate and real estate matters, and has a strong record of civic and professional leadership, including as past president of the Palm Beach County Bar Association. He actively serves on multiple boards and committees, including the executive boards of the Palm Beach County League of Cities and the Palm Beach County Transportation Planning Agency.
Napoleone is a past member of the executive board of the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County, as well as past chair of both the Professionalism and Diversity committees of the Palm Beach County Bar Association, and was creator and chair of its Leadership Academy for Young Lawyers. He helped develop the Florida Bar’s Benchmarks program, which promotes and teaches civics education, is a graduate of Leadership Palm Beach County (2022) and Leadership West Palm Beach (2005), and is an active and engaged parent with Cub Scout Pack 125.
Two council seats and the mayor’s seat are up for election next March. Candidates have until November to qualify for the ballot.
As of this week, Bob Margolis and Jay Webber have filed to run for Seat 1, being vacated by Councilman Michael Drahos. Shelly Albright has filed to run for Seat 4, being vacated by Napoleone. While Napoleone and Kesnel Theus have filed to run for mayor.
