Palm Beach County needs a new congresswoman in District 22

With all due respect to Palm Beach County’s seven-term incumbent congressman, it is time for change.

Support for congressional Democrats is declining nationwide – from Democrats. It is an ominous sign that our own voters are turning away from us just as we are on the verge of winning back the House of Representatives.

In addition, Palm Beach County, which includes the 22nd congressional district, is perilously close to turning red after being a safe Democratic county for decades. Just 10 years ago in December, Democrats had a 35% advantage in voter registration; Last December, this rate dropped to 4.9%. And that’s before Gov. DeSantis’ upcoming mid-decade redistricting effort begins in April, dividing the state to give Republicans even more of an advantage.

We need an inspiring candidate to keep this region blue. Someone who is willing to confront the affordability crisis head on and boldly stand up to the Trump administration. Representative Lois Frankel is not that candidate. It represents a status quo that has failed us for years.

What is this status quo? Democrats who rely heavily on big donors and corporate-aligned strategists, making them less likely to challenge long-term institutions; Democrats who are open only to incremental reform but not willing to disrupt powerful interests by, say, enacting Medicare for All, wealth taxes, expanding the Supreme Court and term limits for judges, or aggressive climate measures; and Democrats who focus on repairing what was, rather than focusing on the reality of today’s politics and transforming what could be.

Lois Frankel is all of the above.

After all, the money of corporations, lobbyists, and billionaires is deeply endangering him. In 2024, 94% of campaign contributions came from major individual donors and PACs. Over the years, its donors included billionaires; real estate developers; financial companies, including Blacktone Group, the parent company of the largest privately-equity homeowner in America; pro-Israel lobby; trial lawyers; Big Candy; and Southern Glazer’s, the largest U.S. liquor distributor, are currently being sued by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for illegal price discrimination that harms small businesses, competition, and consumers.

Also, Frankel is an incrementalist. For example, he does not support Medicare for All. He supports expanding the Affordable Care Act (ACA), even though it is no longer affordable. Our healthcare system is broken, fueled by profit-driven greed. It’s time for single payer.

Finally, and perhaps most damning of all times, Frankel is hopeful for the good old days; This is a travesty for those of us who have watched Trump brutally crush every norm and institution we hold dear. At an event following the murder of Charlie Kirk, he was asked about political violence and gun violence. His rote response? “Use words, not guns.” No, Lois. We need to take gun regulations seriously, not nostalgia, but gun regulations that hold guns accountable and keep them out of the hands of dangerous people.

There is change in the air. There will be a showdown in the midterm exams. Americans are fed up with Congress. Democrats are fed up with weak congressional leadership, a seniority system that encourages top members to stay in office too long, incalculable campaign finance abuses, and the leaving of a majority of Americans in favor of Big Donors. Lois Frankel represents more than these. If we have an 8th re-election in 2026, in a district with new lines, I’m afraid a MAGA Republican will win that district.

Victoria Doyle is an attorney who lives in Lake Worth Beach and is running for the Democratic nomination in Florida’s 22nd congressional district.

This article was first published in the Palm Beach Post: Democrat Victoria Doyle seeks to replace Rep. Lois Frankel | Idea