Jon Pearlman was elected to the Boca Raton city council on March 17 after leading a grassroots campaign that opposed Terra and Frisbie Group’s proposed redevelopment of the city’s government campus, known as the One Boca proposal. The election, held on March 10, resulted in a landslide victory for Pearlman and two other candidates backed by his organization, Save Boca, shifting the city council toward an anti-development majority.
The outcome is significant for local politics in Boca Raton, as it reflects growing community resistance to large-scale development projects. Pearlman, who had not previously voted in a local election, spent more than $250,000 of his own money on his campaign and three political committees affiliated with Save Boca. “I’m not a career politician, I just love my city,” Pearlman said.
Pearlman works in investment management and holds a real estate license with LoKation Real Estate. He grew up in New York City and is the son of Susan Schneider and Mark Pearlman. A former Harvard tennis player, he co-founded Mission Lean with his wife Lyudmila Bouzinova. Records show he lives in Downtown Boca Raton at a property assembled through three acquisitions totaling $3 million between 2018 and 2023; he completed construction of his home there last year.
Pearlman’s activism began last summer when he launched two petitions against the One Boca proposal. The effort quickly gathered thousands of signatures and led developers Terra and Frisbie to agree to a referendum on the project in September. Soon after, Pearlman announced his candidacy for City Council Seat B against incumbent Marc Widger. Widger described him as “a one-issue opponent” focused mainly on downtown development.
Despite setbacks—including a judge ruling some proposed Save Boca laws unconstitutional—Pearlman won with 52.9 percent of the vote. Of the nearly 19,000 votes cast in the referendum, over 74 percent were against One Boca.
The results mark a rapid rise for Pearlman within local politics and signal continued debate over development issues in Boca Raton.
