Orange County, Florida

Orange County Court Judge Group 5

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 › Orange County › Orange County Court Judge Group 5

Decided at the 2026 primary: Asima Azam won the seat

DECIDED August 18: Asima Azam won the countywide judicial race with 52 percent (82,728 votes) over Kafi Kennedy, per unofficial results. This race will not appear on the November 3 ballot.

Winner

Asima Azam

Nonpartisan

Top priorities

Access to justice - ensuring every person before the court has the opportunity to be heard
Dispute resolution experience and property law expertise
Complex case management

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Private practice attorney in Orlando with 23+ years of experience, primarily as a community association/real estate attorney; also a Florida Supreme Court-certified circuit civil mediator and Value Adjustment Board special magistrate, per electasimaazam4judge.vote; previously ran for Orlando City Council, per a Florida Politics headline.

Campaign finance

$147,050 raised · county campaign-finance filings

Also ran in the primary

Kafi Kennedy

Nonpartisan

Top priorities

Fairness, respect, and service as core campaign values
Community-centered justice - 'every case has a real person behind it,'
Extensive courtroom experience and community leadership

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Litigator with 17 years of legal experience across corporations, multiple judicial circuits, State Attorney offices, and the Public Defender's office, handling over 4,000 cases; former president of the Orange County Bar Foundation and Paul C. Perkins Bar Association, per kafikennedyforjudge.com; 40+ jury trials across criminal, civil, and family law, per the League of Women Voters of Orange County Bench Press recap.

Campaign finance

$17,175 raised · county campaign-finance filings

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Next on your ballotOrange County Court Judge Group 21

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Voting info and more

Questions about this race

Who is running for Orange County Court Judge Group 5 in 2026?

The Orange County Court Judge Group 5 race was decided at the 2026 primary - Asima Azam won the seat - and does not appear on the November 3, 2026 ballot. 2 candidates were on the primary ballot: Asima Azam and Kafi Kennedy. Candidate information follows official Orange County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Orange County Court Judge Group 5 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 Orange 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 Orange County Supervisor of Elections filings, last verified September 29, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

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

The rest of your Orange County ballot

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

Also on your ballot

Orange Soil and Water Conservation District 1 Orange Soil and Water Conservation District 3 Orange Soil and Water Conservation District 5 See all 20 Orange County races

Candidate profiles

Asima Azam, full profile Kafi Kennedy, full profile Official Florida election office