With the end of qualifying at noon Friday, 12 state-attorney candidates across the state clinched election as they did not draw opposition. Incumbents made up 11 of the 12 unopposed candidates, according to information on the state Division of Elections website. Those incumbents were State Attorney William Eddins in the 1st Judicial Circuit; State Attorney Jeff Siegmeister in the 3rd Judicial Circuit; State Attorney Brad King in the 5th Judicial Circuit; State Attorney Bernie McCabe in the 6th Judicial Circuit; State Attorney R.J. Larizza in the 7th Judicial Circuit; State Attorney Bill Cervone in the 8th Judicial Circuit; State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle in the 11th Judicial Circuit; State Attorney Ed Brodsky in the 12th Judicial Circuit; State Attorney Dave Aronberg in the 15th Judicial Circuit; State Attorney Phil Archer in the 18th Judicial Circuit; and State Attorney Bruce Colton in the 19th Judicial Circuit. The only non-incumbent who breezed into office without opposition was Republican Brian Haas in the 10th Judicial Circuit.
Voters in only five of Florida’s 19 judicial circuits will cast ballots for public defenders this year, after most races were decided at the end of qualifying Friday, according to the state Division of Elections website. Candidates in 14 circuits were unopposed, with 12 incumbents and two non-incumbents clinching election. The incumbents were Public Defender Bruce Miller in the 1st Judicial Circuit; Public Defender M. Blair Payne in the 3rd Judicial Circuit; Public Defender Mike Graves in the 5th Judicial Circuit; Public Defender Bob Dillinger in the 6th Judicial Circuit; Public Defender James Purdy in the 7th Judicial Circuit; Public Defender Stacy Scott in the 8th Judicial Circuit; Public Defender Bob Wesley in the 9th Judicial Circuit; Public Defender Carlos Martinez in the 11th Judicial Circuit; Public Defender Larry Eger in the 12th Judicial Circuit; Public Defender Julianne Holt in the 13th Judicial Circuit; Public Defender Howard Finkelstein in the 17th Judicial Circuit; and Public Defender Blaise Trettis in the 18th Judicial Circuit. The non-incumbents who ran unopposed were Democrat Andy Thomas in the 2nd Judicial Circuit; and Republican Henry Sims in the 14th Judicial Circuit.
Source: The News Service of Florida
