Rick Meltzer Wins Port St. Lucie District 1 Seat

Meltzer defeated Idony Jean Baptiste in the general election for the city council seat vacated by Stephanie Morgan.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in City Hall

Wide photograph of a pale stucco civic building framed by tall palm trees under a clear blue sky on a sunny Florida afternoon. — Voters in Port St. Lucie's District 1 chose Rick Meltzer, a first-time candidate, to succeed three-term councilwoman Stephanie Morgan in the November 3 general election. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Rick Meltzer won the Port St. Lucie City Council District 1 seat, receiving 56.7 percent of the vote to Idony Jean Baptiste's 43.3 percent with 58 of 62 precincts counted. Stephanie Morgan's three-term tenure on the council ended because she did not seek reelection.

Why it matters

The result installs a first-time political officeholder in a seat held for three terms by Morgan, shaping the council's composition for the district's eastern and northeastern areas. Meltzer's background in mortgage lending and youth sports mentorship is now part of the city's governing body.

Meltzer received 56.7 percent of the vote to Jean Baptiste's 43.3 percent with 58 of 62 precincts counted. The four unreported precincts leave the final tally unconfirmed.

The players

Rick Meltzer

Rick Meltzer is a mortgage loan originator and longtime youth sports coach who won the Port St. Lucie District 1 council seat.

Idony Jean Baptiste

Idony Jean Baptiste is a former law enforcement officer who placed second in the District 1 race and had earlier briefly filed for a St. Lucie County sheriff race.

Stephanie Morgan

Stephanie Morgan is a three-term Port St. Lucie council member whose district seat became open when she chose not to seek reelection.

The details

Neither candidate reached a majority in the four-candidate August primary, sending the race to the November 3 general election. Meltzer, a mortgage loan originator with no prior political experience, has lived in District 1 for more than 20 years and has coached and mentored youth sports for 17 years.

August 2026: Four-candidate primary held; Meltzer led with about 42 percent.
November 3, 2026: General election held for the District 1 council seat.

Political Context

Port St. Lucie elects council members by district rather than citywide, so this outcome changes representation only for the District 1 area. The race continues the pattern of open-seat contests when long-serving incumbents step aside.

District 1 residents will be represented by a new council member taking the seat previously held by Stephanie Morgan. Voters in the district may see changes to how their concerns are handled at City Hall.

The takeaway

District-level council races can turn on local name recognition and community ties, as Meltzer's years of youth sports involvement suggest. Residents who want to track how the new council member represents them can follow future City Hall votes.