Merit Retention Poll

Every two years, the Florida Bar’s Constitutional Judiciary Committee oversees a statewide merit retention poll that asks in-state Florida Bar members to rate judges and justices who are up for retention votes and of whom they have direct knowledge. The poll results may be useful to Florida voters.

2020 Florida Bar Merit Retention Poll Results

The poll was sent in August by mail and by email to Florida Bar members in good standing. Election Services Co. asked members to rate judges and justices up for retention votes and of whom they have direct knowledge.

Download Merit Retention Poll Results

Retention Poll Summary

Total Ballots Distributed: 78,405
Total Ballots Returns by Mail: 2,518
Total Ballots Returned by Internet: 1,108
Percentage of Ballots Returned: 4.62%

Results by Percentage

Florida Supreme Court

	HAVE CONSIDERABLE KNOWLEDGE		HAVE LIMITED KNOWLEDGE		GRAND TOTAL
	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain
Carlos G. Muñiz	63%	37%	76%	24%	71%	29%

First District Court of Appeal

	HAVE CONSIDERABLE KNOWLEDGE		HAVE LIMITED KNOWLEDGE		GRAND TOTAL
	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain
Joseph Lewis, Jr.	84%	16%	84%	16%	84%	16%
Scott Makar	80%	20%	80%	20%	80%	20%
Rachel Nordby	68%	32%	73%	27%	71%	29%
Tim Osterhaus	74%	26%	77%	23%	76%	24%
Clay Roberts	80%	20%	80%	20%	80%	20%
Adam S. Tanenbaum	69%	31%	78%	22%	74%	26%

Second District Court of Appeal

	HAVE CONSIDERABLE KNOWLEDGE		HAVE LIMITED KNOWLEDGE		GRAND TOTAL
	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain
Drew Atkinson	69%	31%	80%	20%	76%	24%
Morris Silberman	92%	8%	88%	12%	90%	10%
Daniel H. Sleet	86%	14%	83%	17%	85%	15%
Andrea Teves Smith	80%	20%	84%	16%	82%	18%

Third District Court of Appeal

	HAVE CONSIDERABLE KNOWLEDGE		HAVE LIMITED KNOWLEDGE		GRAND TOTAL
	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain
Monica Gordo	79%	22%	78%	22%	78%	22%
Eric William Hendon	81%	19%	80%	20%	80%	20%
Fleur Jeannine Lobree	81%	19%	77%	23%	79%	21%
Thomas Logue	87%	13%	83%	17%	85%	15%
Bronwyn Catherine Miller	86%	14%	79%	21%	83%	17%

Fourth District Court of Appeal

	HAVE CONSIDERABLE KNOWLEDGE		HAVE LIMITED KNOWLEDGE		GRAND TOTAL
	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain
Alan O. Forst	76%	24%	79%	21%	78%	22%
Mark W. Klingensmith	78%	22%	81%	19%	79%	21%
Martha C. Warner	91%	9%	86%	14%	89%	11%

Fifth District Court of Appeal

	HAVE CONSIDERABLE KNOWLEDGE		HAVE LIMITED KNOWLEDGE		GRAND TOTAL
	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain
Kerry I. Evander	86%	14%	85%	15%	86%	14%
Jamie Grosshans*	66%	34%	76%	24%	72%	28%
John M. Harris	81%	19%	81%	19%	81%	19%
Richard B. Orfinger	87%	13%	86%	14%	86%	14%
Meredith Sasso	66%	34%	77%	23%	73%	27%
F. Rand Wallis	82%	18%	81%	19%	81%	19%

Results by Numbers

Florida Supreme Court

	HAVE CONSIDERABLE KNOWLEDGE		HAVE LIMITED KNOWLEDGE		GRAND TOTAL
	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain	Total Responses
Carlos G. Muñiz	243	141	554	179	797	320	1,117

First District Court of Appeal

	HAVE CONSIDERABLE KNOWLEDGE		HAVE LIMITED KNOWLEDGE		GRAND TOTAL
	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain	Total Responses
Joseph Lewis, Jr.	254	48	304	59	558	107	665
Scott Makar	313	76	319	78	632	154	786
Rachel Nordby	161	75	263	97	424	172	596
Tim Osterhaus	208	72	282	85	490	157	647
Clay Roberts	267	65	292	72	559	137	696
Adam S. Tanenbaum	149	66	277	80	426	146	572

Second District Court of Appeal

	HAVE CONSIDERABLE KNOWLEDGE		HAVE LIMITED KNOWLEDGE		GRAND TOTAL
	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain	Total Responses
Morris Silberman	492	44	325	46	817	90	907
Daniel H. Sleet	344	55	282	59	626	114	740
Andrea Teves Smith	218	54	299	58	517	112	629

Third District Court of Appeal

	HAVE CONSIDERABLE KNOWLEDGE		HAVE LIMITED KNOWLEDGE		GRAND TOTAL
	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain	Total Responses
Eric William Hendon	298	70	304	77	602	147	749
Fleur Jeannine Lobree	268	63	266	79	534	142	676
Thomas Logue	340	51	313	65	653	116	769
Bronwyn Catherine Miller	426	71	314	83	740	154	894

Fourth District Court of Appeal

	HAVE CONSIDERABLE KNOWLEDGE		HAVE LIMITED KNOWLEDGE		GRAND TOTAL
	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain	Total Responses
Alan O. Forst	280	87	303	82	583	169	752
Mark W. Klingensmith	315	90	318	74	633	164	797
Martha C. Warner	515	51	324	52	839	103	942

Fifth District Court of Appeal

	HAVE CONSIDERABLE KNOWLEDGE		HAVE LIMITED KNOWLEDGE		GRAND TOTAL
	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain	Retain	Not Retain	Total Responses
Kerry I. Evander	300	48	311	53	611	101	712
Jamie Grosshans*	160	82	242	78	402	160	562
John M. Harris	218	51	261	62	479	113	592
Richard B. Orfinger	334	48	389	65	723	113	836
Meredith Sasso	172	87	289	84	461	171	632
F. Rand Wallis	217	47	266	64	483	111	594

The election results and any additional information in connection therewith provided by ESC hereunder or in any report delivered by ESC in connection therewith are provided solely for the benefit of the Board of Directors or equivalent governing body of your organization in connection with the services provided hereunder or any other services rendered in connection therewith and shall not otherwise be reproduced for any other purpose, made public or provided to the membership of your organization (other than to report such actual election results) or any other person or entity without the express prior written consent of ESC.

*Justice Grosshans will appear on the ballot as a judge for the 5th District Court of Appeal, but she has been appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to serve on the Florida Supreme Court and will not be in a merit retention election as a justice until the general election in 2022.