This story is part of a statewide partnership of more than 30 nonpartisan newsrooms and universities working to help Florida voters make informed decisions in the 2026 elections. Learn more about the Florida Elections Reporting Partnership at floridaelections.org.
Temika Hampton-Johnson (D) and Charles Hart (R) are on the ballot in the upcoming Ninth Judicial Circuit Group 1 nonpartisan race for judge.
The Ninth Judicial Circuit covers Osceola and Orange counties in Central Florida. Orange County, which is much larger, has roughly 820,000 registered voters. About 180,000 of them voted in the nonpartisan primary race this past August. Osceola County had 230,795 active registered voters as of June 30, according to the Florida Division of Elections.
Voters ousted Judge Mikaela Nix in the August primary, according to Ballotpedia. Hampton-Johnson led with 44.1% of the vote, Hart finished second with 28.45%, and Nix came in third with 27.5%.
Both Hampton-Johnson and Hart currently practice law: Hampton-Johnson as the managing attorney of the Hampton Law Firm in Orlando, and Hart as a private practice attorney in Sanford. Neither candidate has held office before.
TEMIKA HAMPTON-JOHNSON
Hampton-Johnson’s Orlando law firm handles civil cases, family law and mediation. She’s also a certified circuit civil and family law mediator and vice-chair of Orlando’s Civil Service Board, according to her Ballotpedia survey answers.
Hampton-Johnson did not respond to a request for comment after being contacted through her law office and campaign phone numbers. Information about her background and platform was gathered from various verified websites.
Hampton-Johnson earned her bachelor’s degree from Stetson University in 2001, and completed her graduate degree at Stetson University in 2002. She earned a law degree from the Florida A&M University in 2013, according to Ballotpedia.
According to her campaign website, she served in the United States Army Reserve as a military police officer. Later, according to her website, she served as an assistant public defender with the Second Circuit Public Defender’s Office; a Florida state probation and parole officer; a family law attorney; and as a community and labor lawyer. She now works as the managing attorney of her own law firm in Orlando.
Hampton-Johnson has said improving access to the courts and restoring public trust in the judiciary system is her priority. In a profile done by Winter Garden Vox, Hampton-Johnson warns how one court’s decision can affect another.
“If a father loses his driver’s license in criminal court, he might not be able to pay child support in family court,” she told the Vox. “It’s all connected, and I think my diverse background helps me to see that big picture and understand that it’s more than a decision that’s being made in that court that day, it’s more than a pen to paper.”
Hampton-Johnson said in the interview that she learned to keep her feelings out of the job during her five years as a state probation officer supervising sex offenders. “I’ve had clients who didn’t want me as their lawyer because of my race, but I still represented them, and I still showed up,” she said.
Hampton-Johnson told Winter Garden Vox that the public needs help understanding how the court process works and what their rights are. To combat this, she’s led “Know-Your-Rights” workshops and currently volunteers with the Florida Rights Restoration Collective, helping file cases that convert court costs into community service.
Hampton-Johnson’s campaign has received endorsements from Senator Lavon Bracy-Davis, Central Florida AFL-CIO, Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, former Mayor Chrissy Stile, Vice-Mayor Janice Mortimer, union president Ronald Pollard, and a host of lawyers and leaders, according to Ballotpedia.
Records from Transparency USA show her campaign has raised about $66,000, including roughly $38,500 in contributions and $27,500 in loans, most of them from Hampton-Johnson herself. The campaign has spent about $39,800.
CHARLES HART
Hart’s private practice in Sanford focuses on criminal and guardianship law. He is the former chair of the Orange County Republican Executive Committee and the former assistant state attorney and public defender for Brevard and Seminole counties, according to reporting by Winter Garden Vox.
A representative from Hart’s law office initially agreed to scheduling an interview with Hart, but declined to respond to follow-up emails and phone calls. No calls made to his campaign phone number were answered. Information about his background and platform was gathered from various verified websites.
“My experience as both an attorney and former prosecutor has taught me that effective decision-making begins with listening carefully, exercising sound judgment, and treating every person who enters the courtroom with fairness and dignity,” Hart states on his campaign website.
Hart earned his law degree from the University of Florida, according to Ballotpedia. During his graduate and law school years he taught accounting at USF’s School of Accounting and Santa Fe Community College. Hart is also a member of the Federalist Society and the NRA.
Although Hart has never held office before, he has applied to the Ninth Circuit Court’s Judicial Nomination Commission multiple times, in 2019, 2023, 2024, and 2025, but never made it past the commission.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hart filed a lawsuit against Orange County’s mask mandate, stating that it was a free speech violation and a “massive government overreach,” according to Winter Garden Vox.
Hart’s campaign is backed by the Republican Party of Florida and Florida Family Action, according to Sway. His campaign has raised about $100,265, with $20,265 stemming from donations and the remaining $80,000 coming from his personal funds.
