Shoaf wins District 1 seat; Lambert edging Materio
WEST PALM BEACH — Promising to bring “a fresh perspective” to West Palm Beach’s commission, Christina D’Elosua Lambert declared victory in a close race for a seat held by Shanon Materio, and with 86 percent of the city’s precincts counted, she was leading by a narrow margin.
A second commision contest was not as close. Newcomer Kelly Shoaf was well ahead in voting for the District 1 seat, which came open with Commissioner Sylvia Moffett’s recent decision not to run for re-election. Shoat, a West Palm resident for a dozen years, had more than twice the votes of Martina Tate Walker.
Shoaf is vice president of purchasing for Chatham Lodging Trust, a hotel real estate investment trust. She’s a community activist who serves as secretary of the Old Northwood Neighborhood Association and once worked for the chamber of commerce.
“People were ready for a change,” Lambert said Tuesday during an election-night party at a CityPlace restaurant. “I heard that from the time I got into the race.”
Materio did not return phone calls to The Palm Beach Post.
The West Palm Beach commission campaigns focused on the city’s growth, traffic, livability and downtown development. Perhaps the key issue of the past year is whether developer Related Cos. should be allowed to build a 25-story office tower on a site zoned for a maximum of 5 stories and 300 feet from the Flagler Drive waterfront.
Materio voted against it, helping the commission reject the project by a 3-2 vote. But Lambert, and to some extent Shoaf, were seen as candidates who might reverse that vote and allow the office tower.
Lambert rejected the idea that the election was a referendum on the Related Cos. project.
“I think this was a referendum on wanting progress in our city,” Lambert said.
Mayor Jeri Muoio attended Lambert’s victory party and called her win “good for business.”
Lambert is a productivity specialist for Productive Power, former president and CEO of the Education Foundation of Palm Beach and former executive director of Leadership Palm Beach.
Materio, a longtime West Palm resident, is co-owner of McMow Art Glass, with offices in Lake Worth and West Palm. As District 5 commissioner for nearly five years, she has advocated for south end issues such as revitalization of the municipal golf course and spearheaded forums on citywide transportation and school safety following the Parkland massacre.