Three sitting judges in Leon County were re-elected without opposition on April 24, the last day of judicial qualifying, while two other incumbent judges will face challengers in the November election.
Leon Circuit Judges J. Lee Marsh and Jason Jones, both appointed by Republican governors, each are facing Democratic competitors in what are officially nonpartisan races.
Automatically re-elected were Leon Circuit Judges Tiffany Baker-Carper and Stephen Everett — both of whom have made headline in high-profile murder cases — and Leon County Judge Nina Ashenafi-Richardson.
Everett oversaw the highly publicized trials of two key players in the murder-for-hire of Dan Markel: Charlie Adelson in 2023 and Donna Adelson in 2025. Baker-Carper is presiding over a case involving the murder of 5-year-old Missy Mogle. Her actions in a related case prompted calls from the governor and attorney general for her impeachment, while her defenders say she has been unfairly blamed.
Rashad Green, a criminal defense lawyer with offices in Tallahassee and Tampa, will square off against Marsh. Green is the grandson of the late Joseph Woodrow Hatchett, the first African American to serve as a Florida Supreme Court justice.
Stephanie Cager, senior vice president of legal affairs for the Children’s Home Society of Florida, will compete against Jones. She formerly served as deputy general counsel for the Florida Department of Health.
The judicial qualifying period ran from noon on Monday, April 20, to noon Friday, April 24. Candidates must submit paperwork and pay fees or turn in voter signatures to appear on the ballot.
There were no last-minute surprises on the final day of qualifying, though this judicial election cycle has already seen its share of high drama.
Leon Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey, who was facing well-funded challenger Talley Kaleko, submitted her resignation letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis on April 14 and withdrew from the race. The timing of her move means the governor will appoint someone to succeed Dempsey and that voters won’t get to weigh in until 2028.
Sitting appellate judges also will be on the ballot for merit retention votes.
Those qualifying by April 24 included Florida Supreme Court Justice Carlos Muniz and Tallahassee-based 1st District Court of Appeal judges Joseph Lewis Jr., Rachel Nordby, Tim Osterhaus, Clay Roberts and Ray Treadwell.
Marsh, a former bureau chief for the Florida attorney general, was appointed circuit judge in 2018 by then-Gov. Rick Scott. He won election to the seat in 2020 without opposition. A former Republican and Democrat, he now has no party affiliation.
Jones, former general counsel for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, was appointed county judge in 2020 by DeSantis. In 2022, he defeated Mario Theodore to win election to the post. In 2025, DeSantis appointed him to the circuit bench. Jones, a former Republican, is now NPA.
Ashenafi-Richardson, first elected in 2008, was reelected to a fourth six-year term. She hasn’t drawn an opponent since her first campaign.
Baker-Carper, a former criminal defense lawyer, won reelection to a second six-year term. She was first elected to an open seat in 2020 after Circuit Judge Jonathan Sjostrom retired.
Everett, a former prosecutor and public defender, was appointed county judge by Scott in 2016. DeSantis appointed him to the circuit bench in 2019. He won the seat without opposition in 2020.
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Judge qualifying: Three win election without opposition, two races set
Reporting by Jeff Burlew, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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