THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:
MEET THE CANDIDATES - PART ONE .......
Miami-Dade County has six contested judicial elections in the 2026 election cycle—five for the Circuit Court and one for the County Court.
Early voting began on Monday, August 3, and Election Day is Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
Over the next three days, Captain Justice will take a look at each of the six races. Today, Group 5 and Group 35.
(Seat being vacated by Judge Angelica Zayas)
Alexander Annunziato
- In-house counsel for Ascendant Commercial Insurance.
- Member of The Florida Bar for 11 years.
- Former Lieutenant with the Florida Highway Patrol.
- Former Assistant Public Defender.
- Has tried 23 jury trials.
His background also includes a highly publicized 2018 arrest for purchasing two bags of heroin. He successfully completed the Miami-Dade Drug Court program, and the charges were ultimately dismissed.
DOLLARS $$$
- Raised $53,795 from 86 contributors.
- Presidente Supermarkets, through five different corporate entities, contributed a combined $5,000.
- Financial disclosure reflects a net worth of $1,165,000, including an annual salary of $170,000 from Ascendant Commercial Insurance.
- One final tidbit that Rumpole would undoubtedly appreciate: among his listed assets is "Green Bay Packers — $1,500."
Arthur McNeil
- Assistant Public Defender.
- Member of The Florida Bar for 19 years.
- Currently assigned to the Death Penalty Litigation Unit.
- Certified Supreme Court Mediator.
- Former private practitioner handling both civil and criminal litigation.
- Has tried 56 jury trials.
DOLLARS $$$
- Raised $57,545 from 109 contributors.
- Personally loaned his campaign $25,250.
- Financial disclosure lists a net worth of $509,199 and an annual State of Florida salary of $134,321.
Monica Segura
- Senior Managing Associate General Counsel for Universal Property & Casualty Insurance.
- Member of The Florida Bar for 20 years.
- Has tried one jury trial.
DOLLARS $$$
- Raised $61,269 from 145 contributors.
- Financial disclosure reports a net worth of $1,492,000 and an annual salary of $213,500 from Universal Property & Casualty Insurance.
(Seat being vacated by Judge Orlando Prescott)
Renee Gordon
- Assistant Public Defender.
- Member of The Florida Bar for 30 years.
- Seven years with the PD's Office, twelve years in private practice, and the past eleven years back with the PD's Office.
- Has tried 60 jury trials.
DOLLARS $$$
- Raised $84,000 from 289 contributors.
- Personally loaned her campaign $27,000.
- Net worth: $602,273. State salary: $124,133 plus $9,296 from Florida International University.
Cristobal Padron
- Private practice concentrating in family law.
- Member of The Florida Bar for 14 years.
- Ran for Circuit Court in 2024.
- Has tried two jury trials and more than 400 bench trials.
Padron lost the 2024 election to Judge Heloiza Correa by a 52% to 48% margin.
DOLLARS $$$
- Raised $15,800 from 31 contributors.
- Personally loaned his campaign $38,500.
- Net worth: $1,085,000. Income from solo practice: $237,313.
Be sure to check back tomorrow as Captain Justice turns to Circuit Court Groups 67 and 69.
Trust me—you won't want to miss it. The Group 67 race contains a few surprises that deserve a closer look.
Captain4Justice@gmail.com
2 comments:
I’m really done. I know this horse has left the barn long before the door has been closed. But how does someone say that they are qualified to sit in the highest trial court in Florida with ONE jury trial as experience? You know when a Judge Orlando Prescott or Michael Chavies or Will Thomas told me to do something during a trial (or more likely to stop what I was up to- and that being said two of them told me, Judge Thomas yelled it, which made me feel most at home) I listened (most of the time ) to what they were saying because I knew they had stood where I was standing. But when a judge tells me that I can or can’t do something base on his or her one trial of experience just how am I supposed to respect that ruling made by a rank amateur who might qualify as a third or fourth on my trial team (if I had one which I never do. I work alone). It’s stomach turning nonsense but it is what it is.
As a former Judge, it is near impossible to be a well respected trial court Jurist with little to no jury trial experience as 1st chair.
You must be an expert in the Florida Evidenve Code, Civil Procedure and be proficient at making the correct rulings.
As a trial lawyer prior to my appointment, I felt very comfortable in knowing the rules of court and procedures that were repetitive to experienced trial attorneys.
The best and most respected Judges in Miami were seasoned trial lawyers for years before.
End of story.
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