For the two open seats for Collier County judge, one race is headed to a runoff election in November, while Judge Mike Carr was re-elected Tuesday night.
In the Group 2 race, Jim McGarity won 47 percent of the vote and Eugene C. Turner, a longtime county judge, finished second with 43 percent. Because no candidate reached 50 percent, the top two will face each other in the Nov. 6 general election.
Samuel Lopez, who drew controversy as a candidate for judge who did not reside in Collier County, trailed with 11 percent.
One consistent attack by Turner's opponents was the judge's age. If he had won, Turner would have turned 70 during his six-year term, requiring the appointment by a judicial committee of a replacement judge for the remainder of his tenure.
With 66 percent of the vote in the race for Seat 6, the incumbent Carr edged Stephen Smith, who like Lopez is based out of Florida's east coast.
The newly elected judges will begin their terms 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
Hilton earns Diamond Award, 2013
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 0
Be the first to post a comment!
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.