Photo by David Ahntholz .da
Joe Simpson
Four seats were up for grabs in Tuesday's 20th Judicial Circuit judge elections, with half of those taken by judicial newcomers and one sitting judge ousted.
Circuit Judge Joe Simpson was the only incumbent in the circuit to lose, with Lisa Spader Porter winning the Group 26 seat with 71 percent of the vote. Simpson was expected to retire after his first six-year term for health reasons and surprised many in the legal community by announcing his candidacy in the 2012 election.
Porter was a general magistrate in Charlotte County for five years before she resigned to run for the circuit judge position.
In Group 9, incumbent Meg Steinbeck narrowly defeated Karen Miller, garnering 51 percent of the vote.
Fifty-six percent of Southwest Florida voters also re-elected George C. Richards to the Group 29 seat, choosing the incumbent over personal injury attorney David McElrath.
Voters in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties vote in all 20th Judicial Circuit judge races.
With a clear margin of victory, Collier-based private attorney Joe Foster received 60 percent of the vote and edged out Miguel C. Fernandez III, who is also in private practice, for the Group 18 seat.
It was the only race in the circuit without an incumbent running.
As at the county level, newly elected circuit judges will take the bench in January.
2012 ELECTIONS - PRIMARY ELECTION COVERAGE
Primary Election Day Stories
- McGarity to face Turner in Collier County judge runoff
- Immokalee voters support town's new master plan
- Doggett defeats Bigelow in GOP primary for Lee County Clerk of Courts
- Radel declares victory in Southwest Florida race for Congress
- Kiker upsets Judah for Lee commission; Pendergrass wins District 2 seat
- Nance knocks off Coletta for Collier commission; Henning survives
- Dozier, Chilmonik to runoff for Lee School Board seat; Morgan wins over Cochran
- Incumbent sheriffs win big
- The race is on; Mack, Nelson cruise to expected victories
- Collier voters return clerk, tax collector, property appraiser to office
- Circuit Judge Joe Simpson loses in Tuesday primary
- Ray Rodrigues new state representative for south Lee County
- Hart likely will remain as Lee County tax collector
- Bullard pulls out victory in tight state Senate race
- Trujillo wins Florida House 105 primary
- Mica's win over Adams highlights Fla. congressional races
- GOP senators, backed by party, look like winners
- Marco Island voters not supporting overnight walk-in clinic
- Precincts report low turnout, smooth primary election so far
- Today's election to answer several campaign questions
Photo Galleries
Related Links
- Photo Galleries
- Videos
- Unofficial: Collier County Results
- Unofficial: Lee County Results
- Database: 2012 Presidential Campaign Contributions
- Database: 2012 Presidential Contributions 2nd Quarter
- Florida Democracy: Find stories about the 2012 Florida elections at fldemocracy2012.com
- Share your Election photos at naplesnews.com/participate
- 2012 Elections Page
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