Judicial merit retention
Florida Supreme Court justices and district court of appeal judges are appointed by the governor from nominees submitted by a judicial nominating commission and then face voters in a yes-or-no 'merit retention' question ('Shall Justice/Judge ___ be retained in office?') at the first general election held more than one year after appointment and every six years thereafter. A simple majority of votes cast on the question retains the judge for a new six-year term; a majority 'no' vote creates a vacancy that the governor fills by appointment (Fla. Const. art. V, s. 10).
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Or pick your county and districts manually
County and state legislative districts come from the U.S. Census Bureau's current files. Florida redrew its congressional districts in May 2026 and the Census files predate that map, so the congressional district is marked "confirm" until you check it on the state voter site and enter it manually if needed.
Verified against the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections' official 2026 General Election sample ballot and The Florida Bar's 2026 merit-retention list: Sumter voters answer four retention questions, for Supreme Court Justice Carlos G. Muñiz and Fifth District Court of Appeal Judges John M. Harris, Scott D. Makar and F. Rand Wallis. No other appellate judge appears on the Sumter ballot. Note: The Florida Bar discontinued its merit-retention poll in 2023, so there is no 2026 Bar poll.
Florida Supreme Court (every Florida ballot)
Carlos G. Muñiz
Born June 25, 1969, in Chicago. B.A. with high honors, University of Virginia (1991); J.D., Yale Law School (1997), where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal. Law clerk to U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Flannery (D.C.) and Judge José A. Cabranes (U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit). Deputy general counsel to Gov. Jeb Bush (2001), general counsel of the Department of Financial Services, deputy chief of staff and counsel to House Speaker Marco Rubio, deputy attorney general and chief of staff to Attorney General Pam Bondi (2011-2014), and general counsel of the U.S. Department of Education (2018-2019). Appointed to the Florida Supreme Court Jan. 22, 2019, as its 89th justice and the first Nicaraguan-American justice; retained by voters in 2020; served as the 57th Chief Justice of Florida from July 2022 to June 2026.
Notable: [object Object],[object Object],[object Object]
Florida Bar retention poll: The Florida Bar discontinued its merit-retention poll in 2023; no 2026 poll exists.
District Courts of Appeal
Which appellate judges appear on your ballot depends on your county. Enter your address above to see yours, or expand a district below.
First District Court of Appeal (Tallahassee)
First District Court of Appeal (Tallahassee)
On the ballot in this district
Judges standing for retention, as listed by The Florida Bar. Backgrounds for these judges have not been researched yet; The Florida Bar publishes biographies for every judge on the ballot.
- Joseph Lewis, Jr.
- Rachel Nordby
- Tim Osterhaus
- Clay Roberts
- Raymond Treadwell
Second District Court of Appeal (St. Petersburg)
Second District Court of Appeal (St. Petersburg)
On the ballot in this district
Judges standing for retention, as listed by The Florida Bar. Backgrounds for these judges have not been researched yet; The Florida Bar publishes biographies for every judge on the ballot.
- Drew Atkinson
- Morris Silberman
- Daniel H. Sleet
- Andrea Teves Smith
Third District Court of Appeal (Miami)
Third District Court of Appeal (Miami)
On the ballot in this district
Judges standing for retention, as listed by The Florida Bar. Backgrounds for these judges have not been researched yet; The Florida Bar publishes biographies for every judge on the ballot.
- Kansas R. Gooden
- Monica Gordo
- Fleur Jeannine Lobree
- Thomas Logue
- Bronwyn Catherine Miller
Fourth District Court of Appeal (West Palm Beach)
Fourth District Court of Appeal (West Palm Beach)
On the ballot in this district
Judges standing for retention, as listed by The Florida Bar. Backgrounds for these judges have not been researched yet; The Florida Bar publishes biographies for every judge on the ballot.
- Alan O. Forst
- Mark W. Klingensmith
- Johnathan D. Lott
- Shannon K. Shaw
Fifth District Court of Appeal (Daytona Beach)
Fifth District Court of Appeal (Daytona Beach)
John M. Harris
B.A. in psychology and criminal justice, University of Oklahoma (1988); J.D., Florida State University College of Law (1991). Practiced business and commercial litigation in Brevard County for about 11 years. Appointed to the Brevard County Court by Gov. Jeb Bush in 2002 and to the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit (Brevard and Seminole counties) in 2006, where he served as an administrative judge and was twice elected chief judge (2013, 2017). Appointed to the Fifth District Court of Appeal by Gov. Rick Scott in July 2018 to succeed Judge Thomas D. Sawaya; retained by voters in 2020.
Notable: [object Object]
Florida Bar retention poll: The Florida Bar discontinued its merit-retention poll in 2023; no 2026 poll exists.
Scott D. Makar
Born Oct. 15, 1959, in Mahopac, N.Y. B.S., Mercer University (1980); MBA and M.A. in economics (1982), J.D. with honors (1987) and Ph.D. in economics (1993), all from the University of Florida. Appellate attorney at Holland & Knight (1989-2001), chief of the appellate division of Jacksonville's Office of General Counsel (2001-2008) and Florida Solicitor General (2007-2012), arguing five cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Appointed to the First District Court of Appeal by Gov. Rick Scott on Feb. 6, 2012, and recommissioned to the Fifth District Court of Appeal by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Jan. 1, 2023, when the appellate districts were redrawn. Has taught at several law schools.
Notable: [object Object]
Florida Bar retention poll: The Florida Bar discontinued its merit-retention poll in 2023; no 2026 poll exists.
F. Rand Wallis
B.A. in political science, Furman University (1989); J.D., Stetson University College of Law (1992). Assistant state attorney in the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit for two years, then in private practice in Orlando (Cameron, Marriott, Walsh, Hodges & Coleman; from 1996 Cabaniss, McDonald, Smith & Wiggins). Appointed to the Ninth Judicial Circuit (Orange and Osceola counties) by Gov. Charlie Crist in 2008 and to the Fifth District Court of Appeal by Gov. Rick Scott in 2013 to succeed Judge Bruce Jacobus.
Notable: [object Object]
Florida Bar retention poll: The Florida Bar discontinued its merit-retention poll in 2023; no 2026 poll exists.
Sixth District Court of Appeal (Lakeland)
Sixth District Court of Appeal (Lakeland)
No appellate judges from this district are on the 2026 ballot, according to The Florida Bar.
Fifth DCA Judges Joe Boatwright, Eric Eisnaugle, Harvey Jay, Paige Kilbane, John MacIver, Jordan Pratt and Adrian Soud stood for retention in November 2024 (Jacksonville Daily Record, Oct. 11, 2024) and are not on the 2026 ballot. Judges Kerry I. Evander (last retained 2020 with 72.3%) and Dan Traver are listed under 'Former Judges' on the Fifth DCA website, so they are not on the 2026 ballot either.