Three Pinellas County judges won their seats Tuesday night, Aug. 18, in races every Palm Harbor and Dunedin voter could weigh in on regardless of party. Because each contest had only two candidates, all were decided in the primary and will not appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
Elizabeth "Liz" Constantine captured 75% of the Pinellas County vote to win the open Circuit Judge Group 39 seat, defeating Stefen Diskey. Incumbent Judge Elizabeth "Liz" Jack held off challenger Oxalis Garcia with 73% in Pinellas for Circuit Judge Group 44. And Nick Fiorentino, 47, took 64% of the vote to win County Judge Group 10 over Zachariah Wade.
As we reported Aug. 12, the judicial contests were among the few primary races where party registration didn't matter, since judges carry no party label.
Group 39: Constantine wins open seat
Constantine, 38, a prosecutor in the Pinellas State Attorney's Gang Unit with 13 years of experience and more than 80 jury trials, won decisively across both counties in the Sixth Judicial Circuit. She received 127,652 votes in Pinellas and 52,890 in Pasco for a total of 180,542, according to Florida Election Watch. Diskey, 39, tallied 67,628 total.
The seat opened because incumbent Daniel D. Diskey, Stefen Diskey's father, did not seek reelection.
In a July 31 St. Pete Catalyst candidate profile, Constantine said she was driven to public service by her childhood in the foster care system: "I knew at a young age I wanted to live a life of public service to give a voice to those like me who were impacted by the system."
Group 44: Jack fends off closely watched challenge
The Group 44 contest drew the most attention of the three races, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Jack, 57, who took office in 2021 after 12 years as an assistant state attorney, raised $120,000 and earned endorsements from more than 100 local attorneys and public officials.
The results were decisive. Jack also won 70% of the Pasco County vote.
"I am very grateful for all of the support my committee and the community gave me in this election, and I am thrilled to be able to continue serving our citizens for the next six years," Jack said after the results came in.
Garcia congratulated Jack, noting she earned 30% of the Pasco vote with limited resources.
Group 10: Fiorentino wins county bench
Fiorentino, a family law practitioner endorsed by local firefighter and police unions and Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, defeated Wade, a 35-year-old private defense attorney. Fiorentino previously ran for a circuit judge seat in 2024.
County judges hear primarily local misdemeanors and infractions. The position pays $186,034 per year, while circuit judges earn $196,898.
What's next
The results remain unofficial. The Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections announced all precincts reported on election night, and the Canvassing Board is scheduled to certify official returns by Friday, Aug. 21.
