Christen Ritchey for City Council: Preserving Boca Raton for Our Children

By John Parker On Feb 11, 2026 0 Copy Link Print

Christen Ritchey, a local family lawyer and public servant, is running for City Council to offer her experience and vision to the city. The election will take place on March 10, 2026.

“I am running for Boca Raton City Council seat. I’m running to help Boca progress economically and be revitalized, but I want to maintain that small town feel that I’ve loved about Boca since I got here when I was five.”

Ritchey told the Florida Jolt.

Ritchey is endorsed by The Realtors of Broward, Palm Beach, & St. Lucie Counties, Business Leaders United for Boca Raton (BLU-PAC), The Fraternal Order of Police (F.O.P. Lodge 35), and the International Order of Firefighters, IAFF Local 1560.

Ritchey attended high school in Boca Raton before earning her undergraduate and Juris Doctor degrees at the University of Florida. From there, Ritchey became a founding partner at Johnson and Ritchey Family Law Firm in Boca Raton. Ritchey lives in Boca with her husband, her high school sweetheart, and their two children. Ritchey explained that while her work as a family law attorney involves extensive litigation to fight for her clients, it also requires negotiation and mediation skills to find solutions between people making some of the most critical and complex choices of their lives, an invaluable skill for governance. She has already been putting her skills to use and is involved extensively. She served on the Boca Raton Planning and Zoning Board, the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, and the Peter Blum Family YMCA of Boca Raton Board. Additionally, Ritchey is the current President of the Women’s Executive Club of Boca Raton and was the President of the South PBC Collaborative Law Group.

When asked what compelled her to get so involved in public service, even as she added it to her extensive duties as a mother, wife, and law firm partner, Ritchey told the Jolt it all comes back to her children.

“It really has to do with wanting Boca to be a place that my children want to come back to and raise their children. I want them to have that same feeling about Boca that I do, and so that’s, that’s why I wanted to get involved,” she said.

Ritchey went on to discuss her major priorities for Boca Raton’s future: managing city zoning to ensure affordable housing for workers and to turn Boca Raton into a walkable city. She told the Jolt she’s been striving for these goals long before her run for City Council.

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“This is why I really want to be on the council. I’ve made a small impact on these boards, but I do want to get more involved in the policy making, the strategic planning, you know, the budget, like, like, get, be able to serve the city on a broader scale,” she told the Jolt.

Ritchey also mentioned her attention to public safety and infrastructure. On infrastructure, she cited AI traffic lights as an obvious win for the city, preventing stalled traffic and increasing safety, and the importance of bolstering sea walls for storm season.

The Jolt also asked Ritchey to explain what set her apart from her competitors. Ritchey was sure to compliment her opponents as lovely people, but was quick to clarify that, despite her commitment to her long-standing goals, she does not have tunnel vision.

“I’m not hyper-focused on one singular issue. My opponent is part of the Save Boca Slate. Their whole mission, the catalyst that sparked them even to start all of this, is about the downtown campus on the public land. I find they’re overly hyper-focused on that issue.” Ritchey said.

“There are just so many other issues we need to be concerned about in the city, infrastructure, public safety, traffic, that I think they’re losing sight of because they’re so focused on this one issue. Of course, it’s important, but I’m thinking about all of the issues.”

Christen on Facebook: Christen Ritchey for City Council. You can help support Christen here: Christen Ritchey.com

Other stories you may want to read:

Jack’s 2026 Boca Raton Voter Guide

Robert Weinroth for City Council: Investing Wisely in Boca Raton

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John Parker

John Parker is a 1L at Fordham Law School. John is an LSAT Tutor, a former opinion writer for his campus newspaper, the Daily Orange, and a former correspondent for Campus Reform and The College Fix. He is also the former Chairman of the New York Federation of College Republicans.