 In the end, Sobel defeated her opponents to win her party's nomination, receiving 53% of the vote to Palamara's 42%, Bonham-Yeaman's 3%, and Mallor's 2%.Running for re-election in 2000, she faced Eric Spivey, the Republican nominee and a former insurance executive.Sobel was endorsed for re-election by the "Sun-Sentinel", which praised her "lengthy experience in public office" and for doing a "decent job of representing her district," concluding, "[S]he deserves the opportunity to gain more experience and seniority in the state Legislature."