There are about 600 circuit judges across 20 judicial circuits in Florida’s state court system. They are elected by voters in local elections to hear felony cases, juvenile matters and civil claims, among other complaints.

If, however, for one reason or another, a circuit court judge resigns or cannot fulfill his/her duties -- say, for instance, he/she dies in office -- a qualified candidate can be appointed by the governor to complete the term. Appointed judges must run for election at the next general election after appointment to keep the seat.

This week, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.,  teamed up again with U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, to bring back their proposal which, they insist, will help small businesses. 

Twenty Democratic presidential hopefuls are about to square off in Miami during two nights of nationally televised debates, as they get an early chance to stand out in the crowded primary.

But some candidates also are visiting political hotspots in Florida, a swing state that will be crucial for any of them to win the White House.

So far, the Homestead migrant detention shelter, the Everglades and Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood have been among the places picked for visits by candidates such as former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.

U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., is pushing a proposal to give the White House more power to sanction nations and groups that hold Americans as hostages. 

Thirteen years after Tallahassee attorney Ron Meyer successfully challenged the state’s major school-vouchers program, he is preparing to sue the state again, this time over its newest taxpayer-funded scholarships.

A number of organizations want Meyer to represent them in a case to try to strike down the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, which was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis last month.

Florida’s suspended top financial regulator, in a lawsuit alleging he is the victim of “pay to play --- or else” politics, contends state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is running a “powerful but corrupt enterprise.”

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is relying on small businesses as it looks to the future, including returning astronauts to the moon in five years and, eventually, landing on Mars -- garnering the applause of a key committee chairman in the U.S. Senate. 

Last week, NASA announced it had contracted with more than 360 small businesses in more than 40 states as part of NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. NASA is planning to spend more than $45 million in those contracts. 

With Mexican drug lord Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán Loera scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday, a Florida congressman is doubling down on his call to take billions of his assets -- seized by the federal government -- and use them to build a wall on the southern border.  

Freshman U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Fla., has opened the door to impeaching President Donald Trump--and drawing heavy fire from the GOP.

The Democratic Party, with a field of nearly two dozen announced candidates, is getting set to open its debate schedule for the 2020 presidential campaign. The first debate is set for Miami and in anticipation, Team Blue is placing a great deal of energy behind a very serious outreach effort -- appealing to the Hispanic/Latino voters.