Palm Beach Post Editorial Board endorsements: Re-elect Caruso and Edmonds in statehouse races

This contest features a candidate who's an incumbent from another district and an earnest Democratic challenger who has previously run for the Legislature. The Palm Beach Post recommends voters choose Republican state Rep. Mike Caruso.

Caruso, a 64-year-old certified public accountant, has been a solid conservative Republican vote in the Legislature but his attention to district constituents has helped him in his former legislative district. His experience will be needed next year where housing and property insurance will dominate the legislative session.

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House District 87 runs from Juno Beach through the coastal sections of Riviera Beach, West Palm Beach into Lake Worth Beach. If re-elected, Caruso would work to allow condominium boards more time, and seek ways to decrease costs, to help them comply with the laws passed after the 2021 collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside.

Sienna Osta is the Democrat in the race. The 34-year-old attorney lives in West Palm Beach and sought a seat in the Florida House in 2020, losing to former state Rep. Omari Hardy. She has rightly criticized Caruso for his far-right, party-line votes in support of Florida's 15-week ban on abortions, anti-Woke legislation and the Parental Rights in Education bill, also known as the "Don't Say Gay" legislation.

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Osta shows promise for future public service but in this race the Post believes Caruso is the better choice.

Keep Edmonds in House District 88

It's been long time coming but voters in Florida House District 88 can finally elect a state representative to serve a full two-year term. The Palm Beach Post urged voters to choose Jervonte "Tae" Edmonds in last December's primary election and in the March special election to fill the unexpired term of former state Rep. Omari Hardy.

Nothing prevents us from recommending him again in the November elections.

Florida House District 88 is a Democratic-leaning and predominantly Black district that includes parts of Palm Beach Gardens, Lake Park, West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, Magnolia Park, Lake Worth, Lantana, Boynton Beach, and Delray Beach.

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Edmonds, 31, lives in West Palm Beach and is the founder and CEO of Suits for Seniors, which mentors high school students throughout the county. Since the March election, he has been a reliable voice of the Democratic bloc in the Florida House. His legislative priorities include working to find solutions to alleviate high housing costs, creating better paying jobs and increasing funding for education and vocational training.

Roz Stevens, 55, is the Republican running against Edmonds. She is a healthcare onboarding specialist living in West Palm Beach and is making her first bid for public office. Although earnest, her lack of a detailed understanding of key issues facing her constituents and the legislators she hopes to join makes Edmonds the clear choice in this race.