It’s election day today in Florida. We have the primaries, a school board election, and also the judicial elections and a local ballot question (other parts of Miami also have some big county commission races, but the terms are staggered and I live in a district which has an off year). The judicial elections — the part that gets by far the least attention from voters or media — may be the most important part.
Governor (D primary): Jim Davis
At the top of the ballot there’s the race that got the most attention: the gubanatorial primary. As a registered Democrat, I get to choose between two candidates I’d happily vote for over either of the Republicans, so I’m already ahead whether Rod Smith or Jim Davis wins. Both candidates bring a different package of virtues and blemishes to the table and I can’t say I have violent feelings about this one. But on balance, I’m going to vote for Davis. I was leaning that way anyway, but what tipped me was the multi-million dollar third-party ad blitz for Smith in the last few days. It was mean, negative, misleading — and financed by Big Sugar.
I’ll be voting for the ballot proposition to give county commissioners a real salary instead of the pittance they now receive. They run a huge budget and, who knows, it might reduce the propensity to make backroom deals for cash.
That said, I resent the one-sided way in which the ballot summary is worded:
Shall the Charter be amended to provide that County Commissioners no longer receive the $6,000 annual salary established in 1957, but shall receive instead the population based salary provided by State statutory formula (currently approximately $88,919) and used by other Florida counties, including Broward County?
Talk about stacking the deck.
School Board (District 6): Gus Barrera (incumbent).
I have a vote in a local school board race in District 6. It’s a sign of how dismal the choices are that I will be voting for a man who supports book-banning. Yes, “Gus” Barrera not only voted to ban Vamos a Cuba, a picture book for little children on the grounds it failed to be anti-Castro enough, he voted to waste more money appealing the school board’s loss in court. Why am I voting for him? Because the other guy is worse.
Barrera at least voted not to ban the book the first time the issue arose, thus giving the school system’s normal procedures a chance to examine it. And to their credit the parents and bureaucrats both said to keep the book — at which point Barrera voted to overturn their decision. Barrera’s opponent’s main campaign issue is that he would have voted to ban the book right away. No thanks.
AG (D primary): Walter (Skip) Campbell
There’s a race on for Florida’s Attorney General, often a springboard to higher office (the Republican incumbent is the leading candidate for Governor). I have to confess I’ve paid too little attention to this one (is it not seriously contested?). Skip Campbell is endorsed by DFA and by the Miami Herald. While I don’t fully trust the Herald in non-judicial elections — its instincts are very status quo — anyone who can get both these endorsements is likely to be someone I’m going to feel comfortable with.
There is, however, one place where I do tend to be a status quo voter, and that’s in the judicial races. I like voting for judicial incumbents unless they’re doing a bad job (examples include ethical lapses, sloppy rulings, and consistently poor in-court behavior). This year I’ll be voting for all but two of the incumbents running for re-election.
The first exception is Judge Ivan Hernandez. I’ll be voting for his opponent in Group 4, Robin Faber. The reasons why this is an important vote are well summarized in the Miami Herald editorial endorsing Faber.
The second exception is Judge Ana Maria Pando who was admonished by the Florida Supreme Court last year for failing to disclose a campaign finance loan from her parents in previous elections. In Group 10 I’ll be voting for Sari Teichman Addicott.
There are also a number of open judicial seats — some where it’s a tough call.
Miami-Dade Circuit Court
Group 25: Murphy (I) [(I) means incumbent] (Herald endorsement)
Group 42: Schwartz (I)
Group 78 (open seat): one of the toughest calls — all the candidates seem to have both virtues and question marks. The Herald endorsed Bardawil, but she didn’t get that great a qualification rating from the Dade bar poll — 57% suggested she was unqualified! At 37 years old she’s also the least experienced lawyer in the race. However, Jose R. Sanchez-Gronlier did equally badly, and Valerie R. Manno Schurr, only did somewhat better (47% rated her unqualified). I remember Ms. Schurr from her previous race in 2004. She’s experienced as a lawyer, had a prior career as a nurse, and is a UM law grad. I liked her in the 2004 race, and I think she’s my choice in this group.
Group 79 (open seat) has two candidates, Marie Abigail Davidson and Antonio “Tony” Marin. The Herald endorsed Marin, a pillar of the local Cuban establishment, as did the pseudonymous Rumpole. He also gets a much, much higher rating in the Dade bar poll, so I’m voting for Martin.
Update Group 80 (open seat) has three candidates: Mario Garcia Jr.; Marisa Tinkler Mendez; and Catherine B. Parks. Garcia is out of the running as far as I am concerned — he has too little legal experience without anything I know of to make up for the lack. The Herald’s not-so-convincing endorsement is for Marisa Tinkler Mendez, but on paper Parks looks like a slightly better candidate on the basis of her diverse experience as a litigator (20 years), a trauma nurse, and especially as an active citizen in various local organizations. For this one I may need to call people I know until I find someone who knows them personally.
Miami-Dade County Court
Group 1: Shirylon McWhorter (I) (Herald endorsement). Judge McWhorter failed the Save Dade test (about which more below) — but so did her opponent.
Group 4: Robin Faber (running against incumbent) (even the Herald doesn’t support incumbent Ivan Hernandez — although the PBA does.)
Group 9 (open): Both the Herald and Rumpole endorse Victoria Del Pino over Joel Jacobi. The Dade bar poll scores are not that different, although Del Pino slightly edges Jacobi. I’m planning on voting for Del Pino on the grounds that she seems to have more relevant experience, and that even if it were a tie all other things being equal I’d probably like to see more women on the bench. (Both candidates fail the Save Dade test.)
Group 10: Judge Ana Maria Pando is the incumbent, but I’m voting for Sari Teichman Addicott for the same reasons as in the Herald’s endorsement. Read the Florida Supreme Court’s decision in the Pando case for yourself.
Group 11: Karen Mills Francis (I)
Group 12: An important vote for Judge Steve Leifman (I). It would be sad if he lost. See the Herald and Rumpole. Leifman is tops in the bar poll too.
Group 14: Judge Michael Samuels (I) (Herald endorsement)
Group 27: Judge Sheldon “Shelly” Schwartz (I). Another valued veteran. Herald likes him too.
Group 39: Judge Bronwyn Catherine Miller (I). I actually have met Judge Miller. She seems smart. And I hear she’s a good judge. And the Herald likes her.
Group 40: Judge Bonnie Lano Rippingille (I). Herald. The challenger, Don Cohn, sounds good too, but I’m for retention during good behavior.
Group 43 (open): Three candidates. Do NOT vote for Cecilia Armenteros-Chavez. I don’t know much about Michael A. Bienstock; both he and Jose L. ”Joe” Fernandez have somewhat similar Bar poll scores. The cognoscenti and the Herald much prefer Fernandez, and I have no reason to disagree.
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