When Palm Beach County voters head to the polls Aug. 18, the county's only contested commission race on the primary election ballot will be for the District 6 seat. Two candidates are vying for the GOP nomination, and three are seeking the Democratic nomination.

The district includes Wellington, Westlake, Royal Palm Beach, parts of Green Acres and stretches toward the west to include the Glades area.

At issue for the new commission will be funding levels for the county sheriff, how to respond to state calls for reduced spending and development issues.

County Mayor Sara Baxter, a Republican incumbent, has amassed a campaign war chest of nearly $400,000 to fend off a challenge in the GOP primary from Elizabeth Accomando, president of the Indian Trail Improvement District.

Entrance and main office at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Entrance and main office at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Teacher Chrystal Watson shows off one of her teaching aids in her classroom at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Teacher Chrystal Watson shows off one of her teaching aids in her classroom at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Insignia on a work truck of The School District of Palm Beach County at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Insignia on a work truck of The School District of Palm Beach County at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Signage at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Signage at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Teacher Chrystal Watson, Riviera Beach, stands in her classroom at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Teacher Chrystal Watson, Riviera Beach, stands in her classroom at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Signage at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Signage at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Entrance and main office at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Entrance and main office at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Bicycle racks at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Bicycle racks at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
View of the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
View of the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Outdoor security gates at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Outdoor security gates at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Liighting and in the main office lobby at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Liighting and in the main office lobby at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
A wall printer applies a scene with Florida as an island that is unattached to the North American continent in a corridor at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
A wall printer applies a scene with Florida as an island that is unattached to the North American continent in a corridor at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Workers apply drywall repair materials and use trade techniques to fix a wall surface at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Workers apply drywall repair materials and use trade techniques to fix a wall surface at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Seating area in a corridor at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Seating area in a corridor at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Two classroom smart boards, stationary and mobile, will be available for teachers to use at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Two classroom smart boards, stationary and mobile, will be available for teachers to use at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Library created by teach Chrystal Watson in her classroom at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Library created by teach Chrystal Watson in her classroom at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Teach Chrystal Watson's desk at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Teach Chrystal Watson's desk at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
A sticker on a smart board in teacher Chrystal Watson's classroom at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
A sticker on a smart board in teacher Chrystal Watson's classroom at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Updated outdoor playground equipment at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Updated outdoor playground equipment at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Playground equipment at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Playground equipment at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Shade sails at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Shade sails at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Playground equipment at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Playground equipment at the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
View of the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
View of the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Pedestrian and traffic signage on West Sixth Street near the entrance to West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
Pedestrian and traffic signage on West Sixth Street near the entrance to West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
The School Board of Palm Beach County board member Edwin Ferguson, Esq., toured the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)
The School Board of Palm Beach County board member Edwin Ferguson, Esq., toured the newly renovated West Riviera Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., on July 28, 2026.(THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST)

Entities linked to Larry Ellison, executive chairman of Oracle Corporation, have contributed $50,000 to Baxter's political action committee, Friends of Sara Baxter. The Ellison-linked companies include Lion Country Safari Inc.-Florida and a company listed in campaign finance records as MPB Investments LLC.

Related Southeast LLC, controlled by West Palm Beach developer Steven Ross, also donated $25,000 to the Baxter PAC.

Scores of other contributors that routinely do business with the county have also made contributions to her PAC.

Last November, Baxter received $10,000 from PBA Holdings, the developer that sought to build Project Tango, a hyperscale data center in Loxahatchee. In April, after widespread opposition surfaced to the project, Baxter refunded the $10,000.

County commissioners recently voted 5-1 to block the project. Baxter had to disqualify herself from participating in the debate because she had publicly said she was against it.

As of July 28, Accomando had raised $54,000.

Baxter had pulled out of the county commission race to run for Congress but quickly changed her mind after President Donald Trump insisted in a social media post that she stay in the commission race. He has endorsed Baxter for the county seat.

Meanwhile, three Democrats are vying to challenge the winner of the Baxter-Accomando race.

Katherine Waldron, who previously served on the Port of Palm Beach District Commission before holding a two-year term in the Florida House of Representatives. She has nearly $180,000 available for her campaign, primarily raised through her PAC, Friends of Katherine Waldron.

Rudy Tinker is a small business owner, who has raised nearly $80,000. He has not set up a PAC.

Mario Guzman has worked in the public sector for more than 25 years, including roles with the county, West Palm Beach and Boynton Beach, where he served as public works director. He has raised about $10,000.

Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government. You can reach him at [email protected]. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Tango, Trump draw attention to Palm Beach County Commission primary