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.
Orange County Judge Group 5
The Orange County Court handles local legal matters, including misdemeanors, local ordinance violations, small civil claims like financial disputes up to $50,000, tenant evictions, and traffic violations.
All county judge races are nonpartisan elections, which means all voters can vote in the election, regardless of party affiliation.
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 partners at the Vox Populi compiled the candidate responses for the Orange County judicial races, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks.
Asima Azam
WEBSITE: electasimaazam4judge.vote/
What professional experiences have best prepared you for the bench? For the past 23 years, I have built a civil practice that closely mirrors the work of the County Court. Approximately 80% of County Court cases are civil matters, and my practice has focused on many of the disputes that regularly come before the court, including contract actions, landlord-tenant cases, collections, lien foreclosures, business disputes and real estate litigation. I have handled every phase of litigation, including case evaluation, pleadings, discovery, motion practice, mediations, hearings, and trials. In addition to representing clients in court, I have negotiated settlements with opposing counsel and self-represented litigants, developing the ability to resolve disputes efficiently while ensuring that all parties are heard and treated fairly. My experience as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator has further prepared me for the bench. Mediation requires impartiality, active listening, patience, and the ability to identify the key issues in a dispute while encouraging communication and dispute resolution. For the past six years, I have also served in a quasi-judicial role as a Special Magistrate for the Orange County Value Adjustment Board. In that capacity, I preside over evidentiary hearings, evaluate witness testimony, interpret and apply Florida law, rule on evidentiary issues, and prepare written recommendations based solely on the evidence and applicable law. My career has also given me significant experience working with self-represented litigants and individuals from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. I understand that for many people, appearing in court is unfamiliar and hard. Every person deserves to be treated with dignity, patience, and respect while receiving a fair opportunity to be heard.
What role should personal values play in judicial decision-making? A judge’s personal values should not dictate the outcome of a case. Every person is entitled to a decision based on the law, the facts, and the evidence presented. My experience as a Special Magistrate for the Orange County Value Adjustment Board has reinforced this principle. For the past six years, I have presided over evidentiary hearings, weighed testimony, ruled on evidentiary issues, and issued written recommendations based solely on the evidence presented and the applicable law. Regardless of my personal opinions or beliefs, my responsibility has always been to apply the law fairly, consistently, and impartially. That experience has strengthened my ability to separate my personal views and values from my legal decision-making.
How do you balance precedent with evolving societal standards? The role of a judge is to apply the law as it is written. Throughout my 23 years of practice, I have advised clients through significant changes in Florida law, particularly in community association, real estate, and business law. My role has always been to understand changing statutes and written decisions and apply them accurately, when they provide clear guidance. As a Special Magistrate for the Orange County Value Adjustment Board, I have been required to decide cases based on the evidence, applicable statutes, and controlling legal authority, when it is available. When the law is unclear and there is no controlling precedent, a judge must rely on established principles of statutory interpretation, the evidence record before the court, and the purpose and intent of the law. The goal should be to reach a decision that is sound, consistent with existing legal principles, and faithful to the spirit and intent of the statute, while providing a well-reasoned analysis for the decision.
At the same time, my experience as a mediator has taught me that every case involves people with their own specific circumstances who deserve to be heard. I would aim to ensure every person has a meaningful opportunity to present their position.
What steps do you take to avoid conflicts of interest? Throughout my 23 years of practice, I have represented a broad range of clients and developed professional relationships within the legal community. If appointed, I would carefully review each case for any actual or potential conflict before presiding. If there is a prior representation, personal relationship, or any circumstance that could call my impartiality into question, I would disclose this to the parties involved. If the conflict cannot be addressed through disclosure, I would recuse myself. Protecting my reputation and the integrity of the process is more important than presiding over any specific case.
While serving on the Board of Zoning Adjustment for over 6 years, and as a Special Magistrate, I have encountered situations where I either had a prior business relationship with the parties coming before me, or had a personal relationship with a party involved. In both situations, I have disclosed the potential conflict and if I felt the relationship could impact my decision-making, I recused myself.
Disclosure and recusal, when appropriate, are the best safeguards against conflicts of interest.
What barriers to justice do you see in the current system, and how would you address them? One of the greatest barriers to justice is delay and the complexity of the legal system, particularly for self-represented persons. Improving judicial efficiency begins with active case management. The recent Florida Supreme Court case management rules recognize that judges play an important role in moving cases forward by setting fair deadlines, holding attorneys accountable to meeting deadlines, and ensuring cases progress on a timely basis.
Another significant barrier is the growing number of self-represented litigants. Throughout my 23 years of practice, I have worked with individuals unfamiliar with the court system, many of whom are scared by the process. While judges cannot provide legal advice, they can clearly explain courtroom procedures, ensure each party understands what is expected, and treat every person with patience, dignity, and respect.
Finally, I believe courts should encourage early alternative dispute resolution whenever appropriate. As a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator, I have seen how mediation can resolve disputes more quickly, reduce costs, and narrow the issues before the court. Early mediation benefits the parties but also reduces court congestion, allowing judges to devote more time to cases that truly require judicial intervention.
Kafi Kennedy
WEBSITE: www.kafikennedyforjudge.com/
What professional experiences have best prepared you for the bench? My professional experience has prepared me for the bench by providing me with a well-rounded perspective on the justice system through service as a prosecutor, public defender, legal educator, and law practitioner. Throughout my career, I have been entrusted with responsibilities requiring sound judgment, integrity, fairness, and a steadfast commitment to the rule of law.
For more than 17 years, I have practiced law in Central Florida. I currently serve as Of Counsel with Having an Attorney When It Matters, where I represent clients in criminal, family, and personal injury matters, conduct court hearings and trials, draft and argue dispositive motions, and mentor attorneys and staff. This work has strengthened my ability to evaluate legal issues objectively, communicate effectively, and ensure that every individual is treated with dignity and respect.
My service as an Assistant State Attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit provided invaluable leadership and courtroom experience. As Director of Pretrial Diversion and Chief of the Booking Release Center, I supervised attorneys and staff, managed court operations, created office-wide training manuals, made charging decisions in misdemeanor and felony cases, and collaborated with judges, law enforcement, corrections officials, and community partners to improve the administration of justice. In addition to prosecuting cases, I handled motions, bond hearings, post-conviction matters, and other court proceedings, experiences that reinforced the importance of fairness, discretion, and accountability.
Before serving as a prosecutor, I spent more than seven years as an Assistant Public Defender in the Ninth Judicial Circuit. I represented hundreds of clients facing misdemeanor and felony charges, conducted jury and bench trials, litigated complex motions, researched and authored appellate briefs, and advocated for clients at every stage of the criminal process. Representing indigent clients taught me the importance of ensuring that every person--regardless of background or circumstance--receives meaningful access to justice and a fair hearing.
My commitment to the legal profession extends beyond the courtroom. I currently serve as a Faculty Member at Florida A&M University College of Law, where I teach Introduction to Analytical Skills. Legal Analysis, and serve as a Bar Coach. I have also taught trial advocacy, training future attorneys in motion practice, courtroom advocacy, witness examination, evidentiary foundations, and ethical legal practice. Teaching requires patience, objectivity, and the ability to explain complex legal principles clearly--qualities that are equally important for a judge.
Earlier in my career, I had the privilege of serving as a judicial intern with the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, where I researched legal issues, drafted memoranda and proposed orders, and observed the judicial decision-making process firsthand. That experience provided an early appreciation for the responsibility, impartiality, and discipline required of members of the judiciary.
Collectively, these experiences have given me a comprehensive understanding of our justice system from nearly every perspective. I have advocated for the State, defended the constitutional rights of individuals, educated future lawyers, supervised legal professionals, and observed the work of the federal judiciary. Those experiences have prepared me to approach every case with an open mind, apply the law faithfully, treat every person with dignity and respect, and render decisions that are fair, impartial, and based solely on the facts and the law.
What role should personal values play in judicial decision-making? Judges take an oath to uphold the Constitution and apply the law fairly and impartially, regardless of their personal beliefs, political views, or life experiences. Every litigant deserves the confidence that his or her case will be decided based on the facts presented, the applicable law, and the governing legal precedent--not on the personal preferences of the judge.
At the same time, a judge must not remember their humanity and show humility, respect, patience, and compassion. These are essential to influence how litigants are treated, ensuring that every person is heard, treated with dignity, and afforded due process.
My experience as both an Assistant Public Defender and an Assistant State Attorney has reinforced the importance of setting aside personal opinions and objectively evaluating each case on its own merits. As an attorney, I was ethically obligated to advocate for my client while respecting the law. As a judge, that responsibility shifts to serving as a neutral arbiter who faithfully applies the law equally to all parties.
Personal values should not play a role in the judicial decision-making process as a Judge is to ensure that justice is administered fairly, impartially, and consistently, thereby preserving public trust in the judicial system and the rule of law.
How do you balance precedent with evolving societal standards? Legal precedent is fundamental to our legal system because it promotes consistency, stability, and predictability in the law. Judges have a duty to faithfully apply binding precedent established by higher courts, even when societal views evolve or personal opinions differ. Adherence to precedent ensures that like cases are treated alike and that the judiciary remains faithful to its constitutional role.
What steps do you take to avoid conflicts of interest? Judges must not only be impartial but must also avoid the appearance of impropriety. I believe that transparency, ethical vigilance, and adherence to the Florida Code of Judicial Conduct are critical to preserving the integrity of the courts.
If elected, I would carefully review each case for any actual or potential conflict, including prior involvement as an attorney, personal or professional relationships with parties, attorneys, or witnesses, or any financial or other interests that could reasonably call my impartiality into question. When appropriate, I would promptly disclose any potential conflict on the record and, when required under the Florida Code of Judicial Conduct, recuse myself so that every litigant has complete confidence in the fairness of the proceedings.
Ultimately, protecting the integrity of the judiciary is more important than presiding over any individual case. By adhering to the law and erring on the side of transparency when questions arise, I will ensure that every person appearing before me can trust that their case is being decided by a fair, impartial, and independent judge.
What barriers to justice do you see in the current system, and how would you address them? One barrier to justice in our court system is delay. As Orange County continues to experience significant population growth, the volume and complexity of cases have increased substantially, placing tremendous demands on the court. Delays in resolving cases can create uncertainty for victims, defendants, families, and businesses while increasing costs for everyone involved. I
Another significant barrier is unequal access to the legal system. Many individuals appear in court without legal representation or have limited understanding of court procedures. While judges must remain impartial and cannot serve as advocates, they can ensure that proceedings are conducted with patience, respect, and clarity so that every person understands the process and has a meaningful opportunity to be heard.
My experience has given me a unique perspective on these challenges. As an Assistant Public Defender, I represented individuals who often faced significant obstacles in navigating the legal system. As an Assistant State Attorney, including serving as Director of Pretrial Diversion and Chief of the Booking Release Center, I worked to improve efficiency, develop training programs, and collaborate with community partners to promote fair and effective case resolution. Those leadership experiences taught me the importance of balancing efficiency with fairness while ensuring that justice is never sacrificed for speed.
If elected, I will work diligently to manage my docket efficiently, prepare thoroughly for every hearing, treat every person who enters my courtroom with dignity and respect, and apply the law fairly and consistently.