Jim Norton beat two candidates to win the Port St. Lucie City Council District 3 seat in the Aug. 18 primary election, according to final but unofficial results.
Norton won 52.41% of the vote, besting Fritz Masson Alexandre, who had 24.78%, and Peter Overhuls, who had 22.81%.
He will make roughly $65,000 a year for the four-year term, and there are no term limits. He will represent the whole city, but must live in District 3, which includes the southwesternmost part of the city.
The Port St. Lucie City Council is nonpartisan and elected “at large,” meaning all voters can vote for any candidate, regardless of which district the voter lives in.
Norton will succeed incumbent Anthony Bonna, who is running for the Florida House District 85 seat.
Incumbent Rep. Toby Overdorf, R-Palm City, vacated the seat to run for Florida Senate in 2028. Incumbent Sen. Gayle Harrell has reached her eight consecutive terms’ limit.
Here’s a snapshot of all four candidates in the Aug. 18 primary election:
Jim Norton
Norton is the chair of the Port St. Lucie Planning and Zoning Board. He was a Weston city commissioner for about six years, before unsuccessfully running for Broward County Commission in 2016. He envisioned a more professional city moving forward, a place where all sorts of people could enjoy living, working and playing. Overhuls sees an affordable city, with good jobs and a balance of businesses.
“I am running to Keep Port Saint Lucie Moving Forward. I believe my business and education background coupled with my municipal experience will be an asset to the city as we continue to grow,” he told TCPalm. “I also believe my institutional knowledge as Chair of the PSL Planning & Zoning Board puts me in a unique position to be prepared before day one. I want to help the council fulfil the plans in place and face the challenges ahead with hands on experience and knowledge.”
Peter Overhuls
Overhuls is a bulldog of an anti-establishment candidate, but is not always persuasive or detailed. He likes the idea of a soccer complex, but not on U.S. 1. That area was targeted for shops, restaurants and maybe a hotel, he said, but not a stadium.
“My top priority will be to convince the City Council to address the traffic issues by developing a five-year road infrastructure plan and also to ensure that the 2018 referendum money is being used for roads and improvements,” he told TCPalm. “Secondly, I will ask for a review of department activities and conduct a cost analysis of our city operations to ensure that the communities needs are being addressed, while supporting the ”Roll Back Rate on the Millage.”Thirdly, the City Council needs to adopt a more focused goal driven strategic plan with specific benchmarks tomake sure money is being correctly spent and projects are not over budget.”
Fritz Masson Alexandre
Alexandre, 63, said he is a “public health professional and registered nurse” who previously was a psychiatrist technician at the Treasure Coast Forensic Treatment Center in Martin County.
In Haiti, he received degrees in law, medicine and business management; was an Armed Forces captain; and worked as a military physician at the military hospital, he said.
He unsuccessfully ran for this seat in 2018 with 18% of the vote, and in 2022 with 36% of the vote. He unsucessfully ran for St. Lucie County Commission District 5 in 2024 with 32% of the vote.
He declined a TCPalm Editorial Board interview, but answered its candidate questionnaire. He said his top three priorities are improving public safety; supporting responsible economic development; and enhancing residents’ quality of life.
“As someone who has dedicated my career to serving others through healthcare and community service, I understand the challenges many families face,” he said. “I believe our community deserves strong, accessible and accountable leadership.”
Tim O’Hara is TCPalm’s St. Lucie watchdog, environment and fisheries reporter. Contact him at tim.ohara@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Norton wins Port St. Lucie City Council District 3 election
Reporting by Timothy O’Hara, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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By Timothy O'Hara, Treasure Coast Newspapers | USA TODAY Network
