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Coral Springs, Florida — As South Florida voters prepare for the November 3, 2026 general elections, three candidates standing for state, federal and local offices share a common set of values centered on practical problem-solving, personal accountability, and a results-oriented approach to government:
1. Mery Lopez-Palma for Florida House District 102;
2. Casey Askar for Congressional District 22; and
3. Theresa Booker for Margate City Commission, Seat 5.
Each brings private-sector and professional experience from outside traditional politics. They emphasize lowering costs for families and businesses, supporting public safety, reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens, and prioritizing the needs of local communities over ideological agendas. Their platforms reflect a shared preference for fiscal discipline, economic opportunity, and community-focused governance. They value the contributions of working people, small businesses, and service-oriented professionals.
Mery Lopez-Palma — Florida House District 102
Mery Lopez-Palma is the Republican nominee for Florida House District 102, an open seat covering portions of Davie, Plantation, Sunrise, Cooper City, Southwest Ranches, and a small section of Pembroke Pines. She advanced from a decisive victory at the August primary, and faces Democrat candidate Michael Friend in the general election. The seat opened due to term limits.
Born in Cuba, Lopez-Palma came to Florida with her family as a child. She is a practicing real-estate and probate attorney with the Law Offices of Mery Lopez, P.A., and a small-business owner operating Vicky Bakery franchises in Weston and Sunrise. She has served as Broward Director of the Christian Family Coalition, a Republican precinct committeewoman in Southwest Ranches, and president of the Missing Children Global Network. She also participates in educational outreach that delivers copies of the U.S. Constitution to local students.
Her campaign platform focuses on practical economic and community priorities for District 102 residents. Key elements include:
• Reducing living costs by lowering property taxes, addressing property-insurance rates, and connecting eligible residents with local housing-assistance grants.
• Streamlining business licensing processes and easing regulatory burdens so local entrepreneurs can operate more efficiently and create jobs.
• Supporting law enforcement, advocating for parental rights in education, and promoting policies that sustain economic growth while preserving neighborhood quality of life.
Lopez-Palma frames her candidacy around the principles of God, family, and country, drawing on her experience as both a business owner and community volunteer. More information is available at her campaign website: https://www.merylopezpalma.com/.
Casey Askar — Congressional District 22
Casey Askar is the Republican nominee for Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, a newly redrawn seat that connects western Broward and Palm Beach counties—including areas near Weston, Parkland, and Wellington—through Hendry and Collier Counties. He won a multi-candidate primary and faces Democratic nominee Pia Dandiya in the general election.
Askar immigrated to the United States from Iraq as a child. After high school he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served honorably. He later built Askar Brands / Askar Family Office, a commercial real-estate and multi-state restaurant franchise network that includes partners such as Papa Romano’s and Church’s Chicken, employing thousands of people across South Florida and other states.
Askar’s platform emphasizes economic policy, border security, and government accountability. Main priorities include:
• Lowering everyday household costs through tax cuts, deregulation, and expanded domestic energy production that includes oil, natural gas, nuclear, and clean coal.
• Securing the border, supporting election-integrity measures such as citizenship verification for voting, and prohibiting members of Congress from trading individual stocks.
• Protecting Medicare and Medicaid by targeting waste and fraud, modernizing the military, and supporting law-enforcement initiatives. He has also outlined education and energy proposals aimed at expanding opportunity and reducing reliance on foreign sources.
Askar presents himself as a business leader and veteran prepared to work with national Republican leadership on pro-growth legislation. Additional details appear on his campaign site: https://www.caseyaskar.com/.
Theresa Booker — Margate City Commission, Seat 5
Theresa Booker is a nonpartisan candidate for Margate City Commission, Seat 5, an open four-year term created by term limits. She previously sought a commission seat in 2022. A registered nurse with more than 30 years of healthcare experience in hospital settings and health-plan operations, Booker is a long-time Margate homeowner with conservative family values.
She has described her approach as practical and resident-focused, drawing on her professional discipline and personal community ties. Her 2026 campaign has relied on small individual donors without PAC or developer contributions. Booker’s platform centers on municipal fiscal responsibility, health and safety, and public engagement.
Specific priorities include:
• Applying detailed oversight to the municipal budget and seeking alternative funding sources such as grants and public-private partnerships before considering reductions in city services.
• Expanding access to community health services, broadening local swim-education and drowning-prevention efforts, and supporting police, fire, and neighborhood-watch programs.
• Enhancing local parks and tree-canopy initiatives while promoting smart redevelopment of underutilized commercial properties to expand the city’s tax base without altering neighborhood character. She also emphasizes better communication between residents and City Hall.
Booker positions herself as a working professional who brings a caregiver’s perspective and fiscal caution to local government. Her campaign materials are available at her website: https://www.theresa4margateseat5.com/.
According to former United States Speaker Tip O’Neill, all politics is local. In Broward County there are three local candidates for public office who will make a positive difference serving American citizens.
