What the Palm Beach Post's Deb Adeimy Endorsement Meant in the 2026 FL-23 Primary

Editor’s note: This campaign archive preserves the article’s original August 14, 2026 publication date. It was updated after the primary to reflect the official result and the appellate ruling.

During the 2026 primary, the Palm Beach Post Editorial Board endorsed Deb Adeimy for the Republican nomination in Florida’s 23rd Congressional District. The board also endorsed Lois Frankel in the Democratic primary.

Read the Palm Beach Post’s published primary endorsement recap

An editorial endorsement is an opinion from a newspaper’s editorial board. It is not an official election determination, and it does not replace the judgment of voters. For Paola Branda’s campaign, the endorsement was an opportunity to explain the choice she was asking Republican voters to consider.

What the Endorsement Established

The endorsement established one clear fact: the Palm Beach Post Editorial Board preferred Adeimy in that Republican primary. It did not establish that every reader, every reporter, or every Palm Beach voter shared the board’s view.

That distinction matters. News reporting and editorial endorsements serve different purposes. A responsible reader can consider an editorial board’s reasoning, compare it with each candidate’s record and message, and reach an independent conclusion.

The campaign’s response should meet the same standard. It should identify the endorsement accurately, make Paola’s case directly, and avoid assigning motives that the published record does not prove.

The Case Paola Made to FL-23

Paola entered the race as a legal immigrant from Venezuela, a wife and mother of two, a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership, a 15+ year educator and World Languages Department Head, a business operations leader, a humanitarian aid leader, and the founder of Crescendo Step.

Her America First message focused on seven priorities:

• Lower costs and taxpayer relief.
• Secure borders, legal immigration, and safe communities.
• Education, parents, and opportunity.
• Senior security and healthcare costs.
• Freedom, faith, and religious liberty.
• Clean water, the Everglades, and Florida resilience.
• Accountability, transparency, and responsive government.

Those priorities, along with Paola’s life story, were the case she asked voters to evaluate. A newspaper endorsement could inform that decision, but it could not make the decision for them.

The Ballot Challenge Was a Separate Question

The endorsement came during a primary that also included a legal challenge to Paola’s ballot qualification. The Leon County Circuit Court denied the request to remove her from the ballot. After the primary, Florida’s First District Court of Appeal affirmed that judgment on August 19, 2026.

Review the First District Court of Appeal case record

That legal outcome and the editorial endorsement answered different questions. The courts addressed whether Paola remained qualified for the ballot. The editorial board expressed its preference. Voters made the final electoral choice.

What the Official Result Settled

The August 18 primary is now complete. Palm Beach County’s official results show that Deborah Adeimy won the Republican nomination for District 23. Paola accepted the result, congratulated Adeimy, thanked her supporters, and chose to move forward with faith and gratitude.

Review the official Palm Beach County primary results

The result deserves the same clarity as the endorsement: it should be stated accurately and without relitigating voters’ decision.

The Mission Continues

An election can end while the principles behind a campaign remain.

Paola’s commitment to Palm Beach families, legal immigration, education, faith, freedom, service, and accountable government did not begin with an endorsement and did not end with the primary. She is listening, learning from 2026, strengthening relationships, and looking toward the work ahead.

America First. Freedom Always.

Read Paola’s post-primary reflection and join the next chapter.