Political newcomer Meg Weinberger said Wednesday, Aug. 21 that she’s now ready to saddle up and take on Democrat Rachelle Litt after winning the four-way Republican primary for State House District 94 on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
Weinberger garnered 5,669 votes, or 47.7 percent of all the ballots cast, according to unofficial results from the Florida Division of Elections.
“We were out there for weeks and weeks, putting up signs and door-knocking — a lot of it on horseback, listening to people,” said Weinberger, who lives in the horse-friendly Caloosa neighborhood.
Having long been involved with animal rescue, Weinberger said that is a style of campaigning she is comfortable with and plans to continue into November.
“I’m so grateful for the support of the people in the district,” she said.
In the balloting, Anthony Aguirre was second at 27.7 percent (3,300 votes), followed by Christian Acosta at 16.6 percent (1,976 votes) and Gabrielle Fox at 7.8 percent (936 votes).
District 94 includes the Acreage/Loxahatchee area, Loxahatchee Groves, Westlake, parts of Royal Palm Beach, parts of Palm Beach Gardens and all of western Palm Beach County, including the Glades. The seat is being vacated by State Rep. Rick Roth, a Republican, due to term limits.
While Weinberger may have used a lot of boot leather and saddle soap in her campaign, her consultants also flooded local airwaves with television commercials touting her as a mentor and a supporter of foster children, and focusing strongly on her endorsement by former President Donald Trump.
Weinberger, the county chair of the conservative Moms for Liberty chapter, said Wednesday that Trump’s endorsement was a “huge factor” in her victory and “I’m so grateful.”
Litt, a former Palm Beach Gardens councilwoman, vice mayor and mayor, said Wednesday in a prepared statement, “Meg Weinberger ran her primary campaign on the extreme agenda that has taken Florida backward in every metric — women’s reproductive rights, cost of living, access to quality affordable healthcare, and support for our teachers and public education. Her Moms for Liberty, MAGA agenda is just too extreme for the people of House District 94.”
Litt said that she is a better choice for voters in the general election.
“I’m running for the State House to make our community a more affordable, safe and prosperous place to live,” she said. “As mayor of Palm Beach Gardens, I worked across the aisle and in collaboration with our local businesses to find solutions to real problems. I’ll take that same approach to Tallahassee… We need an experienced leader to work on solving the problems our community faces, not someone focused on culture war politics.”
Learn more about Litt at www.rachellelitt.com.
According to Weinberger’s web site, for the past 10 years, she has been the driving force behind Rescue Life, an animal sanctuary that partners with organizations like Kid Sanctuary, Place of Hope, the Els Center for Excellence & Adult Day Program and Friendship Circle to use animals as sources of comfort for the most vulnerable members of the community. She is also an active supporter of Place of Hope, the Special Olympic Hometown Foundation, and is a former vice president and board member of Big Dog Ranch Rescue. In 2022, Weinberger was appointed to the Stetson University Board of Trustees.
“Meg will use her life experience and conservative values to solve the big problems facing Floridians,” she noted on her web site. “She will work to find market-based solutions to make Florida more affordable, expand options for parents to improve educational outcomes, and support the first responders.”
Learn more about Weinberger’s campaign at www.megforflorida.com.
Aside from Weinberger versus Litt in District 94, voters in nearby District 93 will also have a contested election in November.
Advancing to the general election without primary challengers in District 93 were State Rep. Katherine Waldron, a Democrat who is completing her first term, and Republican Anne Gerwig, who recently stepped down as Wellington mayor due to term limits.
District 93 includes all of Wellington and western portions of Greenacres and Lake Worth.
There will also be a State Senate race on the ballot in District 31, which includes all of Martin County and parts of St. Lucie and Palm Beach counties. Locally, it includes the Acreage/Loxahatchee area, Westlake, Loxahatchee Groves and Royal Palm Beach.
In District 31, incumbent State Sen. Gayle Harrell, a Republican, faces a challenge from Democrat Aaron J. Hawkins, a community activist from Stuart.