It’s rare for incumbent judges to lose re-election, but voters delivered an upset loss to Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Jared Smith, who found himself in local and national headlines this year. In the Group 37 race of Hillsborough’s 13th Judicial Circuit, Smith—first appointed to the bench in 2017 by then Gov. Rick Scott—lost to Nancy L. Jacobs by more than 7,000 votes.
It’s rare for incumbent judges to lose re-election, but voters delivered an upset loss to Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Jared Smith, who found himself in local and national headlines this year. In the Group 37 race of Hillsborough’s 13th Judicial Circuit, Smith—first appointed to the bench in 2017 by then Gov. Rick Scott—lost to Nancy L. Jacobs by more than 7,000 votes.