CIVICS SCORECARD

Home › Candidates › U.S. House — FL District 23 › Lois Frankel

DEM Survey: Pending

Lois Frankel

U.S. House — FL District 23
Central Palm Beach County
Incumbent
★★★★☆
119 / 165 points
Integrity & Legal Record
Professional & Business Transparency
Policy & Platform Consistency
Community Engagement & Character
Campaign Transparency
Issue-Based Positions

Incumbent (78; born 5/16/1948; BA Psychology, Boston University, 1970; JD, Georgetown University, 1973; lawyer; Florida House of Representatives, 1986–1992 and 1994–2002, House Minority Leader 2000–2002; Mayor of West Palm Beach, 2003–2011; U.S. Representative for FL-22, 2013–2017 and 2023–2026; her prior district's territory was largely absorbed into the new FL-23 following the 5/4/2026 redistricting, and she is running there rather than the newly-open FL-22; missed 3.9% of roll call votes over her career, above the median of 2.1% among current representatives; endorsed by several prominent human rights organizations; running in the D primary against Victoria Doyle and Mark Piper)

Last updated: 2026-08-21

Every candidate is researched identically across six categories using only public records and candidate-submitted information. No candidate is endorsed. Read the full methodology.

Integrity & Legal Record 23 / 25

Criminal History

`[NOT FOUND — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Lois Frankel" arrested OR convicted OR indicted — 2026-08-14]`. No adverse findings.

Sources:
  • Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-14 — no adverse matches

Civil Court History

`[NOT FOUND — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Lois Frankel" lawsuit OR litigation — 2026-08-14]`. No adverse civil litigation found.

Sources:
  • Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-14 — no adverse matches

Ethics Violations

In May 2023, financial disclosures (filed per the STOCK Act's timely-reporting requirement, which she complied with) showed Frankel sold $1,001–$15,000 in First Republic Bank stock on March 16, 2023, then bought $1,001–$15,000 in JPMorgan stock on March 22, 2023 — shortly before First Republic's collapse and JPMorgan's government-arranged acquisition of it. This drew coverage from multiple independent/nonpartisan and conservative-leaning outlets (CNN, Newsweek, Daily Caller, Free Beacon) given her seat on the House Appropriations Committee, which oversees funding for the FDIC, Federal Reserve, and Treasury Department — all agencies involved in the First Republic resolution. Frankel told CNN her account "is managed independently by a money manager who buys and sells stocks at his discretion," and no formal investigation or ethics complaint was opened against her. Her 2026 Republican opponent (in the old FL-22 race), Dan Franzese, separately publicly criticized the trades as a "betrayal of the public trust" and called for a Congressional investigation, though no such investigation has occurred.

Sources:
  • CNN — "Democratic congresswoman sold First Republic stock and bought JPMorgan just before bank sale, financial disclosures show" (5/2/2023) — 2026-08-14
  • Newsweek — "Democrat Sold First Republic Stock, Bought JP Morgan Before Collapse" — 2026-08-14
  • Daily Caller / Free Beacon — reporting on the same disclosures — 2026-08-14
  • The Floridian — reporting on Franzese's criticism — 2026-08-14
⚠️ REVIEW FLAG — Timely-disclosed, independently-managed-account stock trades drew substantial nonpartisan press scrutiny given their timing and her committee assignment, but no formal investigation or ethics complaint resulted; recommend operator review for fair characterization given the absence of any adjudicated finding.

Campaign Finance Violations

`[NOT FOUND — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Lois Frankel" campaign finance FEC violation — 2026-08-14]`. No violation records found. FEC record confirmed: $2,276,254 raised, $1,212,162 cash on hand as of 7/29/2026.

Sources:
  • FEC.gov — campaign finance data via Ballotpedia — 2026-08-14

Residency Confirmed

Documented longtime West Palm Beach, FL (Palm Beach County) resident, consistent with her mayoral and congressional service representing the area.

Sources:
  • Wikipedia; Ballotpedia — 2026-08-14
  • ⚠️ REVIEW FLAG: 2023 First Republic/JPMorgan stock-trade timing controversy — widely reported by nonpartisan outlets, no formal investigation or complaint resulted; recommend operator review for fair, proportionate characterization.
  • Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — no survey response is on file for this candidate per the roster, and the CIVICS Disclosure Survey PDF answers have not yet been extracted/indexed per-candidate in general.

Professional & Business Transparency 22 / 25

Business Ownership

A Florida Sunbiz Officer/Registered Agent search under "Frankel, Lois" (exact match) found exactly one entity: LOIS FRANKEL FOR CONGRESS INC. (N11000002524) — her own campaign committee, an official-capacity entity, not a personal business. No personal for-profit business was found, consistent with her decades-long career as an elected official/attorney rather than a business owner. Per this project's standing spouse-check methodology: Frankel was previously married to Richard Lubin; available sources describe this as a past marriage, not a current one, so the standard household-entanglement rationale for a spouse-business check does not apply here in the same way it would for a current spouse.

Sources:
  • Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), search.sunbiz.org, Officer/Registered Agent Name search "Frankel, Lois" — 2026-08-21 — full returned result set reviewed
  • Wikipedia; LegiStorm — biographical background — 2026-08-21

Financial Conflicts of Interest

No personal business/government-contract overlap identified. Separately, and already documented in Category 1: her 2023 First Republic/JPMorgan stock trades drew scrutiny given her House Appropriations Committee seat overseeing financial-regulatory agencies; this is cross-referenced here as the closest analog to a "financial conflict of interest" finding for this candidate, though it was timely disclosed and attributed to an independently-managed account with no formal investigation resulting.

Sources:
  • See Category 1 § Ethics Violations for full sourcing on the stock-trade timing matter — 2026-08-14
None beyond the existing Category 1 cross-reference.

Bankruptcy History

`[NOT FOUND]`. No personal or business bankruptcy filings located.

Sources:
  • CourtListener (courtlistener.com) — search "Lois Frankel" bankruptcy — 2026-08-21 — 0 results

Tax Liens

`[NOT FOUND]`. No federal or state tax lien records located. Per this project's standing methodology, tax liens are inconsistently indexed online, so this absence of results is not presented as a confirmed clean record.

Sources:
  • CourtListener (courtlistener.com) — search "Lois Frankel" tax lien — 2026-08-21 — 0 results

Board Memberships

`[NOT FOUND — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Lois Frankel" board member/director nonprofit — 2026-08-21]`. No outside corporate or nonprofit board membership identified.

Sources:
  • Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-21 — no matches found
  • Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — no survey response is on file for this candidate per the roster.

Policy & Platform Consistency 17 / 20

Voting Record

Frankel has represented the district (renumbered FL-22 to FL-23 after 2026 redistricting) since January 2023. Her sponsored-bill portfolio concentrates on Health (33%), International Affairs (18%), Labor and Employment (15%), Armed Forces/National Security (9%), Families (9%), Education (9%), and Taxation (6%) — including H.R. 9405, the Esther Coopersmith Award Act (June 2026). A specific, documented vote worth noting: in June 2026, Frankel was among 75 Democrats who voted for H.Res. 488, a resolution expressing "gratitude" to and praise for ICE, despite her public record as a vocal ICE critic (calling ICE operations "inhumane" and harmful to the South Florida economy). She defended the vote as forced by a "poison pill" — the resolution was also structured to condemn an antisemitic attack, and she described voting yes as a response to her duty to her broader community rather than a change in her underlying view of ICE.

Sources:
  • GovTrack.us — Rep. Lois Frankel [D-FL22, 2023-2026] — 2026-08-21
  • (Aggregated news search) coverage of the H.Res. 488 vote and Frankel's explanation — 2026-08-21
⚠️ REVIEW FLAG — The H.Res. 488 vote is a documented, specific instance where Frankel's floor vote appeared to conflict with her public ICE-criticism stance; she offered a specific, on-the-record explanation (a "poison pill" antisemitism-condemnation provision attached to the resolution). Recommend the operator review this vote directly rather than rely solely on the suggested score, since reasonable voters may weigh her explanation differently.

Position Consistency

Beyond the H.Res. 488 vote documented above, Frankel's broader positions (reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ equality, gun-violence prevention) have been consistent throughout her congressional tenure, per the rationale offered by her endorsing organizations (human-rights groups citing her "long track record," Brady PAC citing "unwavering advocacy").

Sources:
  • The Floridian — "'Prominent' Human Rights Groups Endorse Lois Frankel For FL CD 23" — 2026-08-21
  • The Floridian — "Gun Violence Prevention Group Endorses Lois Frankel For FL CD 23" — 2026-08-21
None beyond the Voting Record flag above.

Flip-Flops

The H.Res. 488 vote (documented above under Voting Record) is the one specific instance identified where critics characterized her position as inconsistent with her prior public statements; she offered a specific contextual explanation rather than disputing the underlying facts. `[No other documented reversal was identified — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Lois Frankel" flip-flop reversed changed position — 2026-08-21]`.

Sources:
  • Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-21 — no additional matches
None beyond the item already documented above.

Endorsements

Received: Florida AFL-CIO; Florida SEIU; the Palm Beach Post editorial board; multiple prominent human-rights/civil-rights advocacy organizations (citing her reproductive-freedom and LGBTQ+-equality record); Brady PAC (gun-violence prevention). She faces Victoria Doyle in a contested primary in the redrawn FL-23. `[Endorsements given — NOT FOUND — 2026-08-21]`.

Sources:
  • The Floridian — "Prominent Labor Organizations Endorse Lois Frankel For FL CD 23" — 2026-08-21
  • Florida AFL-CIO — "Florida AFL-CIO Releases First Slate of Candidate Endorsements for Labor 2026" — 2026-08-21
  • WLRN — "In redrawn FL-23, incumbent Rep. Lois Frankel battles political outsider Victoria Doyle" — 2026-08-21
  • ⚠️ REVIEW FLAG: Frankel's June 2026 vote for H.Res. 488 (praising ICE) appeared to conflict with her public record as an ICE critic; she attributed this to a "poison pill" antisemitism-condemnation provision attached to the resolution. Recommend the operator review this vote directly.
  • This category does not re-litigate the Category 1 First Republic/JPMorgan stock-trade finding.
  • Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — no survey response is on file for this candidate.

Community Engagement & Character 20 / 25

Community Involvement

Frankel has an extensive, decades-long record of public service predating this campaign: 14 years in the Florida House (including as its first woman Democratic Minority Leader), eight years as Mayor of West Palm Beach, and multiple terms in Congress since 2013. As a sitting Representative, she has held both in-person and telephone town halls to address constituent concerns.

Sources:
  • Congress.gov — "Lois Frankel" biography — 2026-08-24
  • Town of Palm Beach — "Calendar: Congresswoman Lois Frankel's Telephone Town Hall" — 2026-08-24

Veteran / First Responder Service

`[NOT FOUND — Frankel has not served in the military — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Lois Frankel" military veteran — 2026-08-24]`. She has a documented legislative record of veterans' advocacy, including introducing legislation recognizing Korean War veterans and the Veteran Education Empowerment Act, and has stated a commitment to job training, VA funding, and PTSD support for veterans — documented public advocacy, not personal service.

Sources:
  • Frankel.house.gov — legislative announcements (Korean War veterans recognition, Veteran Education Empowerment Act) — 2026-08-24
None — factual absence of personal service, not a misrepresentation.

Faith-Based Involvement (scored on character consistency)

Frankel is Jewish, affiliated with Temple Beth El, and has a well-documented public record on faith-community issues, including condemning an attack at a Jerusalem synagogue and introducing the Supporting Survivors from Faith-based Communities Act (H.R. 8813, May 2026). Her stated advocacy for religious minorities and faith communities is consistent with her documented legislative record; no contradictions between stated values and public conduct were identified this pass, separate from the Category 3 H.Res. 488 finding already documented and not re-litigated here.

Sources:
  • Jewish Virtual Library — "Lois Frankel" — 2026-08-24
  • Frankel.house.gov — "Frankel Condemns Attack at Jerusalem Synagogue" — 2026-08-24

Debates / Town Halls

Documented, sustained record of holding both in-person and telephone town halls to directly address constituent concerns about legislative and administration actions. `[No specific 2026 general-election debate coverage against her primary opponents (Doyle, Piper) was found this pass — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Lois Frankel" FL-23 debate 2026 — 2026-08-24]`.

Sources:
  • Town of Palm Beach — as above — 2026-08-24
  • X/Twitter — @RepLoisFrankel — telephone town hall announcement — 2026-08-24

Social Media Presence & Consistency

Active, official X presence (@RepLoisFrankel) used directly for constituent engagement (telephone town hall promotion). `[A full manual review of her last 90 days of posts was NOT performed this pass — 2026-08-24]`. No inflammatory personal-tone content was surfaced in general search.

Sources:
  • X/Twitter — @RepLoisFrankel — 2026-08-24
⚠️ REVIEW FLAG — Full manual 90-day audit not performed; recommend direct platform review if full certainty is required.
  • ⚠️ REVIEW FLAG: Social media assessment relied on search aggregation, not a full manual 90-day platform audit.
  • Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — no survey response is on file for this candidate.

Campaign Transparency 17 / 25

Top Donors / Donor Composition

Frankel has raised approximately $2 million from private individual donors this cycle, per August 2026 reporting; her cash-on-hand has historically dwarfed her rivals combined, consistent with a well-established, 12+-term-equivalent incumbent's fundraising base. `[Precise small-vs-large donor percentage NOT FOUND this session — searched: OpenSecrets, FEC.gov — 2026-08-26]`.

Sources:
  • OpenSecrets — Lois Frankel profile — 2026-08-26

PAC / LLC / Funneling Structures

`[PAC NOTED — AIPAC — conduit for 37 donations totaling $20,800 in a prior quarter (an earlier cycle's data point; current-cycle recurrence not independently confirmed this session) — Fully disclosed — OpenSecrets]`. No LLC, dark-money, or foreign-adjacent funding was identified.

Sources:
  • OpenSecrets — as above — 2026-08-26

Advertising Spend

`[Specific ad-spend line items NOT independently itemized — searched: FEC.gov expenditure reports — 2026-08-26]`. Spending capacity is substantial and proportionate to a long-tenured, well-funded incumbent.

Sources:
  • Florida Politics — historical fundraising-dominance coverage — 2026-08-26

Grassroots Engagement

`[No documented door-knocking, phone-banking, or in-person voter-contact ground game located this session — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Lois Frankel" FL-23 campaign canvassing 2026 — 2026-08-26]`.

Sources:
  • Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches

Donations to Political Figures

`[NOT FOUND — searched: FEC.gov, OpenSecrets — 2026-08-26]`.

Sources:
  • Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches
  • No adverse findings.
  • Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — no survey response is on file for this candidate.

Issue-Based Positions 20 / 40

2A Rights Score

NRA F-rating confirmed.

Sources:
  • justfacts.votesmart.org — Lois Frankel ratings and evaluations — 2026-08-26

Pro-Life / Pro-Family Score

[UPDATED 2026-08-27] Frankel is a lead sponsor/co-author of the federal Women's Health Protection Act (H.R. 12, 119th Congress), introduced with Reps. Judy Chu, Ayanna Pressley, and Veronica Escobar, which would establish a statutory federal right to abortion access and preempt state restrictions; the bill has 208 cosponsors. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus, actively promoting the bill in that role. This is documented sponsorship of legislation to codify broad abortion access — squarely meeting the rubric's Level 1 criterion ("sponsored pro-abortion legislation").

Sources:
  • Congress.gov — H.R.12, 119th Congress, Women's Health Protection Act of 2025 — 2026-08-27; Center for Reproductive Rights — "In Historic Vote, U.S. House Passes Women's Health Protection Act" — 2026-08-27; Democratic Women's Caucus — "Lead Sponsors Women's Health Protection Act Announce Effort to Force House Vote" — 2026-08-27
None — review flag resolved.

Fiscal Conservatism Score

`[NO STATED POSITION FOUND — scored 3 per protocol — sources searched: AFP, Club for Growth, CATO, NFIB — 2026-08-26]`.

Sources:
  • Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches

Parental Rights Score

`[NO STATED POSITION FOUND — scored 3 per protocol — sources searched: Moms for Liberty, Parents Defending Education, campaign website — 2026-08-26]`.

Sources:
  • Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches

Election Integrity Position

`[NO STATED POSITION FOUND — scored 3 per protocol — sources searched: campaign website, nationwide news search — 2026-08-26]`.

Sources:
  • Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches

Housing / Insurance Position

`[NO STATED POSITION FOUND — scored 3 per protocol — sources searched: campaign website, nationwide news search — 2026-08-26]`.

Sources:
  • Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches

Education / School Choice Position

`[NO STATED POSITION FOUND — scored 3 per protocol — sources searched: Parents Defending Education, campaign website — 2026-08-26]`.

Sources:
  • Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches

Environment / Everglades Position

`[NO STATED POSITION FOUND — scored 3 per protocol — sources searched: campaign website, nationwide news search — 2026-08-26]`.

Sources:
  • Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches
  • ⚠️ REVIEW FLAG RESOLVED (2026-08-27): follow-up confirmed Frankel is a lead sponsor of the federal Women's Health Protection Act (H.R. 12), codifying broad abortion access. Pro-Life/Pro-Family score revised from 2/5 to 1/5, lowering the Category 6 subtotal from 21/40 to 20/40.
  • Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — no survey response is on file for this candidate.

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