Duval County, Florida

Duval County Court Judge Group 13

2 candidates are tracked for Duval County Court Judge Group 13, headed to a November 3, 2026 runoff: Octavius A. Holliday, Jr. and Melina Buncome. Candidate information follows official Duval County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

About this race

August 18 result: no candidate won a majority, so Octavius A. Holliday Jr. (37 percent) and Melina Buncome (33 percent) advance to a November 3 runoff, per News4JAX. Results are unofficial until the county canvass.

What this office does

Trial court judge. A trial judge presides over criminal and civil cases at the first level: bail and pleas, motions, trials, sentencing and civil judgments. Judges are bound by state law and appellate precedent and are barred by judicial conduct rules from campaigning on how they would rule. Most states elect trial judges on a nonpartisan ballot; the term and the courts a judge may sit on vary by state.

This race. Nonpartisan: candidates appear without party labels.

Florida › Duval County › Duval County Court Judge Group 13

Octavius A. Holliday, Jr.

Nonpartisan

Top priorities

Balanced, fair judicial decision-making
Building public trust in the courts
Community safety and equity in the justice system

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Holliday earned a J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law and has served since 2003 in the State Attorney's Office for the 4th Judicial Circuit, per the campaign site. Holliday has led the office's Human Rights Division and Community Crime Strategies Unit, per the campaign site.

Campaign finance

$17,917 raised · county campaign-finance filings

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Melina Buncome

Nonpartisan

Top priorities

Fair and impartial application of the law
Treatment-focused specialty courts for veterans, mental health, and drug cases
Access to justice through legal aid and youth mentorship

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Buncome has nearly 30 years of courtroom experience as a public defender in the Fourth Judicial Circuit, per the campaign site. Buncome previously served as Felony Division Chief, supervising attorneys handling the most serious and complex cases, per the campaign site.

Campaign finance

$12,350 raised · county campaign-finance filings

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Next on your ballotDuval County School Board District 2

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Voting info and more

Questions about this race

Who is running for Duval County Court Judge Group 13 in 2026?

When is the Duval County Court Judge Group 13 election in Florida?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Florida are on the Florida election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Duval County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Duval County Supervisor of Elections filings, last verified September 25, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Florida election office, or see the full Duval County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Duval County ballot

8 tracked races in Duval County, Florida. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on your ballot

Duval County School Board District 4 Duval County School Board District 6 Florida House District 12 See all 8 Duval County races

Candidate profiles

Octavius A. Holliday, Jr., full profile Melina Buncome, full profile Official Florida election office