The incumbent Lee County judge who holds the seat for the Group 5 judicial bench has been defeated by his opponent, local lawyer Michael Colombo.
Michael Colombo, a private attorney, faced incumbent Javier Pacheco in this year’s primary election.
“I’m going to serve with distinction…I believe in public service. I believe in giving back to our country,” Colombo said.
“I just want to say thank you to all the voters. I’m not going to let anybody down.”
With 99 of 99 precincts reporting, Colombo received 70,186 votes, which accounted for about 56.6% of all votes cast for the seat. The incumbent received 53,906 votes, which was about 43% of the total votes cast.
Here is a little bit about the winner:
MICHAEL COLOMBO
Professional history
Colombo qualified for the judicial candidacy in March and brings more than 25 years of courtroom experience.
Currently, Colombo is an attorney at Suarez, Rios & Weinberg, P.A., a law firm that specializes in criminal law and personal injury.
Prior to private practice, Colombo served as a prosecutor for the State Attorney’s Office, a role that he took in 2012 and held for more than 10 years.
He has handled several types of cases from criminal prosecution to employment law.
Colombo believes that because he has experience “on both sides of the courtroom,” he brings a “balanced and real-world perspective to the bench,” according to his campaign.
Personal life and community involvement
Colombo was born in Connecticut, graduated from the Quinnipiac University School of Law in Hamden, Connecticut. and has been a practicing lawyer since 2000.
Colombo has a wife and three sons who are students in the Lee County public school system. His wife serves on the board for San Carlos Babe Ruth Baseball, where Colombo also occasionally volunteers.
Tayeba Hussein is a breaking news reporter for The News-Press & Naples Daily News. Reach her at thussein@usatodayco.com.
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Election results: incumbent judge loses Lee County seat against local lawyer
Reporting by Tayeba Hussein, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tayeba Hussein, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
