Story updated December 3, 2025 12:30PM
Veteran Town Council member Lew Crampton will defend his seat against former town architectural commissioner John David Corey in Palm Beach’s March 10, 2026, election.
Crampton, a South End Resident, and Corey, a Midtown resident, were both nominated for the Group 1 council seat at Tuesday’s 114th annual Town Caucus.
More than 60 people attended the 73-minute New England-style town meeting at Town Hall.
Group 1 is the only seat being contested in the 2026 election.
Nicki McDonald, a member of the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission and a North End resident, was nominated without opposition to serve in the Group 2 seat held by Bobbie Lindsay, who will retire upon completion of her fifth term in April.
Council member Bridget Moran, a Midtown resident, was nominated without opposition for a second term in the Group 3 seat.
Terms are for two years and begin in April.
Lew Crampton
Crampton is a former president of the Citizens’ Association of Palm Beach, former vice chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission, and former president and CEO and emeritus trustee of the Cox Science Center and Aquarium.
Crampton was nominated for the Group 1 seat by Mark Zeidman and his nomination seconded by Rick Salvadore and Natalie Emerson.
Zeidman said Crampton has proven himself to be an experienced and effective leader, problem solver, and a “stand-up guy” who will fight for residents.
The Cox Science Center and Aquarium was struggling in 2010 when Crampton assumed leadership of the museum, Zeidman said.
“Lew was able to not only turn it around, he made it a showcase institution used by schools across the county,” Zeidman said. “He did this by immersing himself in the issues faced by the science center and that’s just how he acts with the issues faced by the town.”
Zeidman said Crampton strongly opposed the idea of building a water treatment plant in the South End, and is a “budget hawk” who has fought to hold the line on property taxes.
“Lew is the only council member who voted in September 2025 to reduce property tax rates in the new year,” Zeidman said.
(Zeidman is a member of the Palm Beach Civic Association’s Executive Committee).
Crampton joined the council after defeating Harris S. Fried in the March 2018 town election. He was re-elected without opposition in 2020, 2022 and 2024.
When announcing his candidacy in October, Crampton said he is the only council member who keeps regular office hours for residents, and that he voted to cut the property tax rate by 23 percent during his tenure on the council.
Crampton spearheaded the development of a six-point parking plan to alleviate traffic congestion on the island. During his time on the council, the board oversaw reconstruction of the highly lucrative Town Marina and a new recreation center.
Traffic and construction impacts are the most salient issues facing the town during this election year, Crampton has said.
John David Corey
Corey is a real estate investor and former developer who served on the Architectural Commission from 2016 until 2024.
Corey was nominated for the Group 1 seat by KT Catlin and his nomination seconded by Jacelyn Botti and Irwin Meisler.
Catlin said she was impressed with Corey’s integrity and devotion to Palm Beach when she met him as a fellow member of the Architectural Commission eight years ago.
Before moving to Palm Beach, Corey had a successful career restoring and preserving historic properties in Boston, Catlin said.
“John’s father taught him not only to dream but to put things into motion by doing,” Catlin said. “John is the rare leader who sketches, engineers, and plans. [A] certified master gardener. Sleeves rolled up, results delivered.”
As an architectural commissioner in Palm Beach, Corey guarded the town code with a quiet resolve, ensuring that new structures enhanced their neighborhoods instead of overwhelming them, she said.
“John’s vision is simple yet powerful: elevating daily life through civic beauty, proactive care, and fierce advocacy for residents,” Catlin said.
In his first bid for elective office, Corey lost to Moran in the March 2024 town election for the Group 3 council seat vacated that year by Margaret Zeidman, who retired.
Corey started the resident group Palm Beach Walks to promote safe streets and pedestrian safety. He founded Friends of Lake Drive Park to lobby for the preservation of open space next to the Town Marina when it was under construction.
When announcing his candidacy in October, Corey cited commercial overdevelopment, traffic congestion, intensification and zoning reform as the critical issues facing Palm Beach.
Corey has been a Palm Beach Civic Association director since 2019.
The Civic Association is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization that does not endorse political candidates.
Nicki McDonald
In addition to being a zoning commissioner, McDonald has served on the town’s Strategic Planning Commission and its Underground Utilities Task Force.
McDonald was nominated for the Group 2 seat by former council president Margaret Zeidman and her nomination seconded by Alfred “Skip” Aldridge and William Gilbane.
Zeidman called McDonald a friend, a problem solver and a “family person” who cares deeply about people and who has devoted herself to the town through years of volunteer service.
“She’s a powerhouse – eager to engage in making life here the best it can be,” Zeidman said. “She has a quick mind, but she is not boastful. She has a certain grace about her … She engages others by leading in a positive direction.”
Mayor Danielle Moore chose McDonald to help develop the town’s long-term strategic plan – proof that she understands the town’s challenges, Zeidman said. McDonald was also an early advocate for utility undergrounding on the island and helped alleviate residents’ concerns about the project.
“Nicky is balanced in her thinking,” Zeidman said. “She is solid in her judgment and experienced in many facets of town business.”
When announcing her candidacy in October, McDonald said she has established a strong record of leadership, planning experience, and community engagement during the last 12 years.
As a council member, she said she would work to maintain the scale, charm, and quality of life that makes Palm Beach special. She said she would also prioritize preservation and planning, infrastructure and water planning, coastal health and safety, and fiscal responsibility.
McDonald has been a Civic Association director since 2019.
The Civic Association is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization that does not endorse political candidates.
Bridget Moran
Moran is serving her first two-year term on the council after defeating Corey in the March 2024 town election.
She was nominated for the Group 3 seat by John Scarpa and her nomination seconded by council President Bobbie Lindsay and Carla Cove.
Scarpa said Moran has displayed integrity, character, and devotion to her community throughout their many years of friendship.
Before joining the council, Moran volunteered in leadership roles with St. Edward’s Guild, Town of Palm beach United Way, and the Palm Beach Police and Fire Foundation for more than 20 years, Scarpa said.
“Bridget has been an active member of the generation of leaders who have shaped our island into the small, charming and welcoming community we are today,” he said.
As a council member, Moran does her homework and works to ensure that all sides of an issue are heard, Scarpa said.
“Bridget is keenly focused on the future of Palm Beach,” he said. “She will continue to protect our town by saying ‘no’ to development that is not in keeping with our historic character.”
(Scarpa is a member of the Palm Beach Civic Association’s Executive Committee and co-founder and chairman of the Palm Beach Police and Fire Foundation).
When announcing in October that she would seek a second term on the council, Moran pointed to her record of preservation, growth management and town safety.
in addition to her other volunteer board service, Moran is a former member of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, where she served for about three years.
Lawrence Kaplan and council member Ted Cooney were the honorary chairman and secretary, respectively, of this year’s caucus.
(The Civic Association will host a public forum on Monday, February 23, at 10 a.m. at The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea for candidates running for a council seat in the March 2026 election).
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