22 candidates are on the ballot. One ballot can carry several appellate seats, and the note below sets out which contest is which. For each judge: the record, any official performance evaluation, and the arguments published for and against them.
Florida does not hold contested elections for appellate judges. They are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face voters only in yes-or-no merit retention questions, printed without a party label — which is why no party is listed below. The ballot asks “Shall Justice (or Judge) X be retained in office?” A majority of yes votes means another six-year term; a majority of no votes creates a vacancy the governor fills the same way. Twenty-two appellate retention questions are on the November 3, 2026 ballot. One is statewide: Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos G. Muñiz, the only member of that court on this ballot. The rest are district court of appeal judges, voted on only by the circuits their court covers. First DCA (Tallahassee; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 8th and 14th circuits) — Joseph Lewis Jr., Rachel E. Nordby, L. Clayton Roberts, Raymond F. Treadwell. Second DCA (Tampa; 6th, 12th and 13th circuits) — J. Andrew Atkinson, Morris Silberman, Daniel H. Sleet, Andrea Teves Smith. Third DCA (Miami; 11th and 16th circuits) — Kansas R. Gooden, Monica Gordo, Fleur J. Lobree, Thomas Logue, Bronwyn C. Miller. Fourth DCA (West Palm Beach; 15th, 17th and 19th circuits) — Alan O. Forst, Mark W. Klingensmith, Johnathan D. Lott, Shannon K. Shaw, Caroline Shepherd. Fifth DCA (Daytona Beach; 4th, 5th, 7th and 18th circuits) — John M. Harris, Scott Makar, F. Rand Wallis. No judge of the Sixth DCA is up this year. The Florida Bar states that 22 district judges qualified; its own published list names the 21 above, and that one-judge discrepancy could not be resolved. One thing to know before reading any of these entries: the Florida Bar ran a poll of its members on merit retention for 45 years and discontinued it in 2023, and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. There is therefore no official or professional rating of any judge on this year's ballot, which is why the entries below carry so little evaluative material.
22 candidates · ballot order · Carlos G. Muñiz currently holds this seat
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Nothing documented in the sources reviewed.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court; appointed to the court by Governor Ron DeSantis in January 2019, retained by voters in November 2020, elected chief justice by his colleagues in 2022 and re-elected to that role in 2024.
The first Nicaraguan-American to serve on the Florida Supreme Court. Bachelor's degree, University of Virginia, 1991; law degree, Yale Law School, 1997. Clerked for Judge Thomas Flannery of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and Judge José Cabranes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Deputy general counsel to Governor Jeb Bush, 2001–2003; general counsel of the Florida Department of Financial Services, 2005–2006; policy director of the Republican Party of Florida; deputy chief of staff and counsel in the Office of the Speaker of the Florida House; deputy attorney general and chief of staff to Attorney General Pam Bondi, 2011–2014; General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Education under Secretary Betsy DeVos from 2017.
Describes himself as a textualist and is a member of the Federalist Society. In Conage v. United States he wrote that Florida courts should consider all textual and structural clues when interpreting a statute, rather than reaching for canons of construction only after finding the text ambiguous.
Joined the 6-1 majority in Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida v. State of Florida (April 2024), which held that the Florida Constitution's privacy clause does not protect a right to abortion, departing from the court's earlier precedent. The ruling left the state's 15-week ban in effect and allowed a six-week ban to take effect.
Wrote the majority opinion in Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute v. Byrd (July 2025), upholding the congressional map proposed by Governor Ron DeSantis. The court held that the challengers had not shown a map that satisfied both the Florida Constitution's Fair Districts Amendment and the federal Equal Protection Clause.
As chief justice he has led rule changes requiring judges to actively manage civil cases from the outset and revising discovery procedures.
In the Florida Bar's 2020 member poll — the last one held before the Bar discontinued the poll in 2023 — 71% of responding attorneys favoured retaining him. Among respondents who reported considerable knowledge of him, 63% favoured retention, the lowest figure of any jurist in that poll. This is the opinion of the lawyers who chose to respond, not an official rating.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
No organised campaign either for or against Muñiz's retention was found for 2026. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel, the Miami Herald and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll in 2023, so there is no 2026 professional rating of him; the 2020 figures above are the most recent available and are six years old.
Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission, so no official evaluation exists.
The rulings above are described as holdings. Advocacy groups on both sides have characterised them politically; no such characterisation is repeated here, and no group was found campaigning on his retention by name.
Judge, First District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in Tallahassee, hearing appeals from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 8th and 14th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, First District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in Tallahassee, hearing appeals from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 8th and 14th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, First District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in Tallahassee, hearing appeals from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 8th and 14th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, First District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in Tallahassee, hearing appeals from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 8th and 14th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, Second District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in Tampa, hearing appeals from the 6th, 12th and 13th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, Second District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in Tampa, hearing appeals from the 6th, 12th and 13th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, Second District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in Tampa, hearing appeals from the 6th, 12th and 13th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, Second District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in Tampa, hearing appeals from the 6th, 12th and 13th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, Third District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in Miami, hearing appeals from the 11th and 16th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, Third District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in Miami, hearing appeals from the 11th and 16th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, Third District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in Miami, hearing appeals from the 11th and 16th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, Third District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in Miami, hearing appeals from the 11th and 16th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, Third District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in Miami, hearing appeals from the 11th and 16th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, Fourth District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in West Palm Beach, hearing appeals from the 15th, 17th and 19th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, Fourth District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in West Palm Beach, hearing appeals from the 15th, 17th and 19th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, Fourth District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in West Palm Beach, hearing appeals from the 15th, 17th and 19th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, Fourth District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in West Palm Beach, hearing appeals from the 15th, 17th and 19th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, Fourth District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in West Palm Beach, hearing appeals from the 15th, 17th and 19th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, Fifth District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in Daytona Beach, hearing appeals from the 4th, 5th, 7th and 18th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, Fifth District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in Daytona Beach, hearing appeals from the 4th, 5th, 7th and 18th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Judge, Fifth District Court of Appeal of Florida, based in Daytona Beach, hearing appeals from the 4th, 5th, 7th and 18th judicial circuits.
Qualified for merit retention on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, one of 22 district court of appeal judges the Florida Bar reported as qualifying.
Florida appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a judicial nominating commission's list and then face a merit retention question every six years.
No judge of the Sixth District Court of Appeal is up for merit retention in 2026.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Florida Bar discontinued its merit retention poll of members in 2023 after 45 years, so there is no bar rating of this judge for the 2026 election and Florida has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission. This is the main reason so little independent assessment is available.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge's retention was found. Searched: the Florida Bar, Florida Phoenix, Florida Bulldog, the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.
No analysis of this judge's published opinions was found.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
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Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Florida Division of Elections.