As part of our commitment to providing you with what you need to make an informed decision in the 2026 elections, News 6 joined with the News Collaborative of Central Florida to present the Voting Central Florida 2026 Voter’s Guide.
Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.
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[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]
Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.
However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.
Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.
18th Circuit Judge – Group 4 candidates
The 18th Judicial Circuit of Florida handles state civil and criminal cases for Brevard and Seminole counties. These are nonpartisan races, open to all voters.
Of the 11 groups up for election this year, Group 4 and Group 13 drew more than one candidate. You can read about the Group 13 race HERE.
The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.
Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.
Our News Collaborative partners at Central Florida Public Media compiled the candidate responses for the 18th Circuit Court race. Below is an excerpt of each candidate’s profile.
You can see the full Central Florida Public Media Voting Guide HERE.
Larry Freeman
WEBSITE: freemanforjudge.com/
What is your education?
I earned a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, including graduate degrees from the University of Central Florida, and later earned my Juris Doctor. I am also a licensed Florida attorney and have been a licensed Professional Engineer for nearly 20 years.
What role should personal values play in judicial decision-making?
A judge’s personal values should never replace the law. A judge’s duty is to faithfully apply the United States Constitution, the Florida Constitution, and the laws enacted by the Legislature--not to impose personal beliefs or legislate from the bench. Every litigant deserves the same fair and impartial application of the law.
What professional experiences have best prepared you for the bench?
My experience as a civil litigation attorney, licensed Professional Engineer, and small business owner has prepared me to evaluate facts carefully, apply the law as written, and treat every person who comes before the court with fairness, impartiality, and respect.
How do you balance precedent with evolving societal standards?
Precedent provides stability and consistency. If society wants the law to change, that responsibility belongs to the Legislature and the people, not the judiciary. A judge must faithfully apply the law as it exists.
What steps do you take to avoid conflicts of interest?
I will identify and disclose any actual or potential conflicts, follow the Florida Code of Judicial Conduct, and recuse myself whenever my impartiality might reasonably be questioned. Public confidence in an impartial judiciary must always come first.
What barriers to justice do you see in the current system, and how would you address them?
Delay, cost, and inconsistency are significant barriers to justice. As a judge, I will work to ensure cases are handled efficiently, every litigant is treated with respect, and the law is applied fairly, impartially, and consistently.
Robert Alan Segal - Incumbent
WEBSITE: www.keepjudgesegal.com/
What is your education?
- George Washington University -- BA - Political Science -- 1988
- Vermont Law School -- JD -- 1991
What role should personal values play in judicial decision-making?
Personal values play a critical role in judicial decision-making. Judges are called upon to weigh the credibility of witnesses and apply common sense to resolve competing versions of similar facts. That being said, an effective judge is able to recognize personal biases and set them aside in order to take a neutral approach toward resolving complex factual disputes.
What professional experiences have best prepared you for the bench?
Almost 35 years of legal experience. I was a practicing trial lawyer in the Office of the Public Defender and in private practice for approximately 23 years. This gave me the opportunity to represent clients in hundreds of jury and non-jury trials. I served for 4 years as a General Magistrate presiding over hundreds of non-jury trials for 4 years. I have presided over hundreds of jury and non-jury trials as a sitting Circuit Judge for approximately 8 years, sitting in both the criminal and family divisions.
How do you balance precedent with evolving societal standards?
Precedent is the law. Trial judges must faithfully adhere to the law. When judges substitute their view of societal “standards,” predictability in outcomes and faith in the institution are undermined. A party should be able to count on the fact that the judge will listen, impartially, to the facts of the case and apply the law as it is written without interjecting the judge’s personal views or opinions about what society might want in an outcome.
What steps do you take to avoid conflicts of interest?
I disclose virtually any contact I’ve had with a party or witness no matter how trivial. This allows parties to ask questions and make informed decisions so that they are comfortable with my impartiality. I have familiarized myself with the ethical canons governing this profession and recuse myself where those canons require me to do so.
What barriers to justice do you see in the current system, and how would you address them?
One of the most confounding problems with which I regularly deal is the conundrum associated with cases where one party is self-represented and the other has an attorney. The rules of procedure and the law must be followed. A party that chooses to represent themself, often out of financial necessity, cannot be treated any differently than the party with counsel. This, unfortunately, frequently leads to unbalanced presentations favoring the party with an attorney. While a judge cannot instruct the self-represented litigant, the court can rule in such a way (and this pertains to both parties) that makes it easier for the lay-person to understand the problem and correct it without exceeding the bounds of impartiality and fairness.