Tamarac Commissioner Marlon Bolton Wins 3rd Term

by Kevin Deutsch November 5, 2024

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Marlon Bolton.

Tamarac City Commissioner Marlon Bolton appeared to notch a decisive victory over two challengers and retain his District 1 seat, unofficial election results showed Tuesday night.

According to the Broward Supervisor of Elections website, 5,415 voters had cast ballots for Bolton – about 68 percent of the 7,974 total votes tallied in the district – with all four precincts reporting as of 8:30 p.m.

According to Bolton, Tuesday’s victory made him the first Black person to serve three terms as commissioner in the city. He was originally elected in 2016 and reelected in 2020.

“Tonight, we celebrate a huge victory,” Bolton’s campaign said in a message signed by the incumbent. “I am honored and grateful to announce that I have been re-elected to serve as your Commissioner for another four years. This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without your trust, support, and hard work.”

According to the unofficial tally, Bolton defeated challengers Viola Watson, a member of Tamarac’s Planning Board and Affordable Housing Advisory Board, and businessman Horatio Bryan, who announced in mid-October he was dropping out of the race and endorsing Watson.

Watson won about 27 percent of the District 1 vote on Tuesday, while Bryan won a little over five percent.

“I want to extend my sincerest appreciation to my opponents, Viola Watson and Horatio Bryan, for a hard-fought campaign,” Bolton said. “Your dedication to our community is truly admirable, and I look forward to working together to address the challenges we face.”

“My commitment to our city’s progress and well-being is unwavering, and I’m excited to tackle the opportunities and challenges ahead.”

Bolton, the pastor at North Lauderdale’s Praise Experience Church, has long fueled controversy with his vitriolic attacks on political opponents, questions over the sources of his income and campaign donations, and other actions scrutinized by the press and some city residents, including his recent alleged operation of the fake news website Tamarac Post.

Earlier this month, Bolton was involved in a dust-up over his political signs when a Tamarac city employee and local union member volunteering for Watson’s campaign removed several of Bolton’s campaign advertisements.

Last week, Bolton was let go from his second job working for Broward County Commissioner Hazelle Rogers, who said the controversial politician’s “services are no longer required,” according to the county.

Political contributions given to Bolton have also drawn scrutiny. In May, the commissioner came under blistering criticism for politicking on behalf of Coastal Waste & Recycling when the company went before the Tamarac City Commission as a bidder for the city’s waste services contract.

Bolton’s advocacy for the company, which included a resident email blast and a video critical of competitor Waste Management, drew controversy due to the $20,500 in contributions Coastal had made to PACs tied to Bolton since 2022.

Waste Management retained Tamarac’s waste contract in a 3-2 vote.

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Author Profile

Kevin Deutsch

Kevin Deutsch is an award-winning journalist and author of two nonfiction books. He covers general assignment news and Jewish community issues for Talk Media. He has also worked as a staff writer at The Miami Times, the Rio Grande SUN, the New York Daily News, Newsday, The Miami Herald, The Palm Beach Post, The Riverdale Press, and Bronx Justice News.