Judge Voter Guide, an online site dedicated to ranking judicial candidates, recently published its ratings for the Florida judicial election.
Judges are rated on a star scale of 1-5, with 5 stars being the best. The site “ranks every aspect of a candidate’s record according to cases, judicial philosophy, experience, integrity, and commitment to the community” in order to evaluate each candidate, according to its website.
Election day in Florida is August 23rd in Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange, and Pinellas counties.
In Broward County, the site rated the following candidates:
- Circuit Judge, 17th Judicial Circuit, Group 9 Primary Election: Lauren Melissa Alperstein – 1 star; Andrea Ruth Gundersen – 2 stars.
- Circuit Judge, 17th Judicial Circuit, Group 14, Primary Election: Alejandro “Alex” Arreaza – 2 stars; William W. “Bill” Haury Jr. – 4 stars (endorsed by Judge Voter Guide).
- Circuit Judge, 17th Judicial Circuit, Group 23, Primary Election: Gary M. Farmer Jr. – 2 stars; Rhoda Sokoloff – 2 stars; Tania Maria Williams – 3 stars (endorsed by Judge Voter Guide).
- Circuit Judge, 17th Judicial District, Group 51, Primary Election: Tamar N. Hamilton – 1 star; Denise Kistner – 2 stars; Lorena Mastrarrigo – 1 star.
- County Court Judge, Group 15, Primary Election: Michael G. Ahearn – 2 stars; Chris M. Brown – 4 stars (endorsed by Judge Voter Guide); Suzette O. Hyde – 3 stars.
- County Court Judge, Group 26, Primary Election: Mardi Anne Levey Cohen – 1 star; Kaysia Monica Earley – 3 stars (endorsed by Judge Voter Guide).
In Hillsborough County, the site rated the following candidates:
- Florida 13th Circuit Court, Group 6, Primary Election: Wesley Tibbals – 3 stars (incumbent); Belinda Noah – 4 stars (endorsed by Judge Voter Guide).
- Florida 13th Circuit Court, Group 37, Primary Election: Jared Smith – 4 stars (incumbent and endorsed by Judge Voter Guide); Nancy Jacobs – 2 stars.
- Hillsborough County Court, Group 14, Primary Election: Melissa Black – 3 stars; Linette Brookins – 2 stars; E. Michael Isaak – 3 stars (endorsed by Judge Voter Guide); Alicia Whiting Bozich – 2 stars.
In Miami-Dade County, the site rated the following candidates:
- Florida 11th Circuit Court, Group 3, Primary Election: Lody Jean – 2 stars (incumbent); Teressa Cervera – 3 stars (endorsed by Judge Voter Guide).
- Florida 11th Circuit Court, Group 20, Primary Election: Robert Watson – 3 stars (incumbent); Brenda Guerrero – 3 stars (endorsed by Judge Voter Guide).
- Florida 11th Circuit Court, Group 34, Primary Election: Mark Blumstein – 2 stars (incumbent); Ariel Rodriguez – 4 stars (endorsed by Judge Voter Guide).
- Florida 11th Circuit Court, Group 52, Primary Election: Oscar Rodriguez-Fonts – 3 stars (incumbent and endorsed by Judge Voter Guide); Jason Bloch – 2 stars.
- Miami-Dade County Court, Group 5, Primary Election: Fred Seraphin – 2 stars (incumbent); Renier Diaz de la Portilla – 4 stars (endorsed by Judge Voter Guide).
- Miami-Dade County Court, Group 19, Primary Election: Jeffrey Kolokoff – 2 stars (incumbent); Lissette De La Rosa – 3 stars (endorsed by Judge Voter Guide).
- Miami-Dade County Court, Group 42, Primary Election: Scott Janowitz – 2 stars (incumbent); Alicia Garcia Priovolos – 3 stars (endorsed by Judge Voter Guide).
In Orange County, the site rated the following candidates:
- 9th Circuit Court, Group 9, Primary Election: Alison Kerestes – 2 stars; Fay Olga Pappas – 1 star.
- 9th Circuit Court, Group 14, Primary Election: John Beamer – 5 stars (incumbent and endorsed by Judge Voter Guide); Michael Stewart – 1 star.
- 9th Circuit Court, Group 44, Primary Election: Vincent Chiu – 4 stars (incumbent and endorsed by Judge Voter Guide); Aldo Bartolone – 1 star.
- Orange County Court, Group 2, Primary Election: Andrew Bain – 5 stars (incumbent and endorsed by Judge Voter Guide); Jared Adelman – 1 star.
- Orange County Court, Group 8, Primary Election: Elizabeth Starr – 5 stars (incumbent and endorsed by Judge Voter Guide); Michael Morris – 1 star.
- Orange County Court, Group 9, Primary Election: Steven Miller – 3 stars (endorsed by Judge Voter Guide); Amanda Sampaio Bova – 1 star.
- Orange County Court, Group 17, Primary Election: Elizabeth Joy Gibson – 5 stars (incumbent and endorsed by Judge Voter Guide); Joshua Eli Adams – 3 stars.
In Pinellas County, the site rated the following candidates:
- Pinellas County Court, Group 1, Primary Election: Della Cope – 3 stars; David Moran – 1 star; Megan Roach – 4 stars (endorsed by Judge Voter Guide).
- Pinellas County Court, Group 13, Primary Election: Kathleen T. Hessinger – 3 stars (incumbent and endorsed by Judge Voter Guide); Kenneth Affienko – 3 stars.
- 6th Circuit Court, Group 22, Primary Election: Cynthia Newton – 3 stars (incumbent and endorsed by Judge Voter Guide); Nicholas Fiorentino – 2 stars.
- 6th Circuit Court, Group 27, Primary Election: Keith Meyer – 3 stars (incumbent and endorsed by Judge Voter Guide); Scott Finelli – 2 stars.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Florida Capital Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Election Day” by Phil Roeder. CC BY 2.0.
