With days to go before the election, the race for Palm Beach State Attorney is refusing to be predictable.
Small money donors are throwing their support to Alexcia Cox, who has the advantage of being a Democrat in a county where Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly 45,000, and the support of the retiring incumbent, Dave Aronberg. But her opponent, Sam Stern, has been winning the big money race since becoming the Republican nominee in August, and he has the support of the two Democrats who challenged Cox for the nomination.
The outcome of next Tuesday’s election is anything but easy to foretell.
In 2012, the last race with no incumbent, Aronberg’s campaign raised $725,000. His Republican opponent raised $135,000. This year, the combined haul from both sides is over $2 million.
Both candidates now have the backing of large donors, though Stern has more of them, including billionaire Thomas Peterffy, hedge fund manager John Paulson and casino mogul Steve Wynn, all of whom live in Palm Beach County and happen to be financial backers of former President Donald Trump’s effort to recapture the White House.
Combined, the three contributed more than $500,000 to a committee backing Stern. Stuart Piltch, managing director of Risk Strategies Consulting in Philadelphia, dropped a $100,000 donation to Stern’s committee, as did Wynnefield Brothers International, a Pennsylvania-based chemical manufacturing company.
Piltch, who lives in Jupiter, has contributed to congressional candidates from both parties in Florida. Wynnefield’s interest in the race is not clear, and Stern declined to shed light on it.
“I have received bipartisan endorsements from both of the Democratic primary candidates, and received significant campaign contributions from Democrats and Republicans who all share the view that it’s time for a change at the State Attorney’s Office,” Stern said.
In all, Stern picked up more than $1.4 million, most of it since the August primary, eclipsing the nearly $800,000 raised by Cox. A quarter of her war chest came in a single contribution on Oct. 23 from Jonathan Pollock, CEO of Elliott Management, an investment firm headquartered in West Palm Beach.
The majority of Pollock’s past contributions have been to Republicans, according to public records.
Cox, 45, is Aronberg’s current deputy chief assistant state attorney. State records show hundreds of small donations ranging from $100 to $1,000, while a PAC supporting her (the one Pollock contributed to) has a smaller number of larger donations adding up to $400,000.
While Cox said she appreciates Pollock’s $200,000 donation, she predicted the smaller gifts will be a better indicator of what will happen at the polls.
“Local donors equal votes,” she said. “That’s what you’re seeing: The community is coming out and supporting my candidacy because they want someone who is going to be fair. This community values my experience.”
The State Attorney’s Office comprises 115 prosecutors handling all crimes from misdemeanors to capital murders. The office decides which cases to prosecute, when to reach plea agreements, and when to seek the death penalty.
Stern, 44, was a state and federal prosecutor in New Jersey and worked at the office he’s seeking to lead before going into private practice. He teaches trial advocacy at the University of Miami and University of Virginia law schools and is the author of the book “The Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Cross-Examination.”
Election Day is Tuesday.
Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457. Follow him on Threads.net/@rafael.olmeda.