State's judicial races set: 57 county and 209 circuit judges take office unopposed.

Twenty-two district court of appeal judges have qualified for merit retention on this year's November election ballot. In the trial courts, there will be 50 contested circuit court contests on the August 26 primary ballot, while 209 circuit judgeships--mostly held by incumbents--were uncontested.

On the county court bench, there are 17 races on the primary ballot, while 57 were elected or reelected without opposition.

Any runnoffs will be decided in November.

Filing information for the merit retention races and the circuit court races was obtained from the Secretary of State's Division of Elections. Information for the county court elections was obtained by examining each county supervisor of elections' website, which may have been incomplete. Any additional or corrected information on these seats should be emailed to mkillian@flabar.org.

Voters in Orange County will have the largest judicial ballot this year, with eight contested circuit races and two contested county court races.

First DCA: Judges Robert T. Benton, Joseph Lewis Jr., Scott Makar, Tim Osterhaus, and Clay Roberts filed for retention.

Second DCA: Judges Chris W. Altenbernd, Morris Silberman, and Daniel H. Sleet filed for retention.

Third DCA: Judges Barbara Lagoa, Thomas Logue, and Vance E. Salter filed for retention.

Fourth DCA: Judges Alan O. Forst, Mark W. Klingensmith, W. Matthew Stevenson, and Martha C. Warner filed for retention.

Fifth DCA: Judges Wendy W. Berger, Kerry I. Evander, Charles Alan Lawson, Richard B. Orfinger, William David Palmer, Thomas D. Sawaya, and F. Rand Wallis filed for retention.

Here are the contested circuit court seats:

* In the First Circuit, Michelle Avignone Inere and Jennie Marie Kinsey have filed for Seat 22.

* In the Fourth Circuit, Anthony Paul Penoso and Michael Scott Sharrit have filed for Seat 27.

* In the Fifth Circuit, Judge Sandy K. Kautz is being challenged by Mary P. Hatcher, Denise A. Dymond Lyn, and Milan "Bo" Samargya for Seat 3

* In the Sixth Circuit, Susan St. John and Laura Leigh Snell have filed for Seat 1. Kenneth Webb Lark, Alicia Polk, and Alan Scott Rosenthal have filed for Seat 2. Brian Peter Battaglia and Kimberly Sharpe have filed for Seat 16. Amanda Lea Colon and Philippe Matthey have filed for Seat 21. Judge Bruce Scott Boyer is being challenged by Jon Newlon for Seat 35.

* In the Seventh Circuit, Charles D. Hood and Michael Scott Orfinger have filed for Seat 6. Karen Adams Foxman and Steven Leslie Sands have filed for Seat 18. Steven Neil DeLaroche, Adam Dale Warren, and Kathryn Diane Weston have filed for Seat 20. Judge Thomas G. Portuallo is being challenged by Kellie Jo Killebrew for Seat 23.

* In the Eighth Circuit, Judge William Elbridge Davis is being challenged by William Falik for Seat 11.

* In the Ninth Circuit, Norberto Sergio Katz and Kimberly Michele Shepard have filed for Seat 10. Judge Margaret Helen Schreiber is being challenged by Frank George for Seat 12. Harold M. Bacchus, Elaine Agnes Barbour, and James T. Hetz have filed for Seat 18. Orle Barrington Burey and Kevin Brett Weiss have filed for Seat 30. Patricia L. Strowbridge and Diana Michelle...

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