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.
9th Circuit Judge – Group 2 candidates
The 9th Judicial Circuit of Florida handles state civil and criminal cases for Orange and Osceola counties. These are nonpartisan races, open to all voters.
Of the 22 groups up for election this year, Group 1, Group 2, and Group 31 drew more than one candidate.
You can read about the Group 1 race HERE.
You can read about the Group 31 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 Vox Populi compiled the candidate responses for the 9th Circuit Court race. Below is an excerpt of each candidate’s profile.
Christina Arguelles
WEBSITE: electchristina4judge.vote/
What professional experiences have best prepared you for the bench?
For more than a decade, I’ve handled complex civil litigation in Florida courts, representing clients through every stage of a case, from investigation to trial. Civil litigation often overlaps with many other areas of law, including family law, probate and trusts, bankruptcy, immigration, and even criminal matters. That breadth of experience has given me a well-rounded understanding of the legal system and reinforced the importance of preparation, careful analysis, and treating every person who comes before the court with fairness and respect.
What role should personal values play in judicial decision-making?
I believe qualities like integrity, humility, respect, and compassion are essential to being a good judge, and I strive to bring those values to everything I do. They shape how a judge listens to people, treats everyone with dignity, and conducts the courtroom. But when it comes to making decisions, the law, not personal beliefs or opinion, must always come first. Every person deserves to know their case will be decided fairly, based on the facts and the law.
How do you balance precedent with evolving societal standards?
Our legal system depends on consistency and fairness. A judge’s role is to faithfully apply the law and follow binding precedent. When the law changes through the Legislature or higher courts, judges apply those changes, but they should never substitute their own views for the law.
What steps do you take to avoid conflicts of interest?
Public confidence in our courts depends on impartiality. I take ethical responsibilities seriously by being transparent, recognizing potential conflicts early, and following Florida’s judicial ethics rules. If a conflict requires recusal, I would not hesitate to step aside to protect the integrity of the process.
What barriers to justice do you see in the current system, and how would you address them?
Two of the biggest barriers to justice are delay and cost. When cases take too long, legal expenses increase, uncertainty grows, and it becomes more difficult for families and businesses to move forward. As a judge, I would prioritize effective case management, clear communication, and timely resolution of cases whenever possible. Keeping cases moving while giving each one the attention it deserves helps reduce unnecessary costs, improves access to justice, and ensures every litigant receives a fair and efficient process.
Christie Lou Mitchell
WEBSITE: mitchellforjudge.com/
What professional experiences have best prepared you for the bench?
Throughout my legal career, I have practiced across a broad range of matters in the Circuit Court and gained substantial courtroom experience handling both civil and family law cases. I have tried more than 75 cases and have experience in both state and federal courts. Those experiences have given me a deep understanding of courtroom procedure, evidence, case management, and the importance of deciding cases based on the facts and the law.
I also have appellate experience and have co-drafted amicus briefs for the Family Law Section of The Florida Bar on issues affecting Florida families. Appellate work requires careful legal analysis and reinforces the importance of applying the law consistently and correctly.
In addition to my courtroom experience, I have served in leadership roles within the legal profession, including as the immediate past Chair of the Family Law Committee of the Orange County Bar Association, a member of the Judicial Relations Committee, a member of the Bench Bar Committee (2026), and on several committees of the Family Law Section of The Florida Bar. These roles have allowed me to work closely with attorneys and judges to improve the administration of justice and strengthen the relationship between the bench and bar.
I am also Board Certified in Marital and Family Law by The Florida Bar, a distinction earned by fewer than 300 of more than 100,000 attorneys licensed in Florida. Board Certification is the highest level of evaluation by The Florida Bar and requires substantial trial experience, peer review, and successful completion of a rigorous examination on substantive law, evidence, and procedure.
Before becoming a lawyer, I worked at Universal Studios and later as a waitress while attending college. Those experiences taught me the value of hard work, patience, and effective communication with people from all walks of life. Throughout my legal career, those lessons have translated into attentive listening, professionalism, and treating every person with dignity and respect.
Taken together, these experiences have prepared me to serve as a judge who is knowledgeable, fair, well-prepared, and committed to applying the law impartially, with the readiness to assume the responsibilities of the bench immediately.
What role should personal values play in judicial decision-making?
Judges take an oath to support and apply the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution and laws of the State of Florida, and that oath requires decisions to be based on the law and the facts of each case.
When a statute is clear and controlling, a judge is bound to apply it as written. In other circumstances, where the law allows for discretion, that discretion must still be exercised within established legal principles.
The role of a judge is to ensure that every person who comes before the court receives equal treatment under the law. Public confidence in the judiciary depends on judges who are fair, consistent, and faithful to the law, even when cases are difficult or outcomes are unpopular.
How do you balance precedent with evolving societal standards?
Precedent is a cornerstone of our judicial system because it promotes consistency, predictability, and fairness. A trial judge’s responsibility is to faithfully apply binding precedent from higher courts and the statutes enacted by the Legislature, regardless of personal views.
At the same time, the law is not static. The Legislature enacts new statutes, and appellate courts issue decisions that shape and refine the law over time. When the law is unsettled or subject to interpretation, courts must resolve those issues by applying established principles of statutory construction, precedent, and controlling authority.
This approach ensures that similarly situated parties are treated consistently, preserves public confidence in the judiciary, and respects the proper role of the courts within our constitutional system.
What steps do you take to avoid conflicts of interest?
Avoiding conflicts of interest is essential to maintaining public trust in the judiciary. A judge must be attentive to any potential conflict, whether financial, professional, or personal, that could reasonably affect or appear to affect impartiality.
If a potential issue arises, it should be disclosed so the parties have an opportunity to be heard. If a conflict exists, or if an objective person could reasonably believe a conflict exists, recusal is the appropriate step.
The guiding principle is that maintaining faith in the judicial system is more important than any one judge presiding over a particular case. Every litigant is entitled to have their matter decided fairly, free from outside influence or the appearance of impropriety. The integrity of the court depends on both fairness in fact and fairness in appearance.
What barriers to justice do you see in the current system, and how would you address them?
We have one of the strongest and most respected legal systems in the world, but like any system, there is always room for improvement in ensuring meaningful access to justice.
One area of concern is language access in civil and family cases. In a circuit as large and diverse as Central Florida, language access in civil and family cases is an especially important part of ensuring meaningful participation in the judicial process. While interpreter services are more consistently available in criminal proceedings, in civil matters, litigants are often required to arrange and pay for their own interpreters. For many individuals, that cost can be a significant barrier to full participation in their case.
Within existing budget constraints, addressing this issue requires continued attention to how interpreter services are made available, how litigants are informed of their responsibilities, and how courts manage proceedings where language barriers exist, to ensure all parties can be fully heard and understood.
More broadly, the role of the court is to ensure that cases are conducted fairly, that procedures are clear, and that every litigant, regardless of representation or circumstance, has a meaningful opportunity to be heard, consistent with the integrity of the judicial process.