Sean Brewer and AuBroncee Martin will go to a runoff for the 12th seat in Florida’s 8th Circuit Court Tuesday night, beating out Dan Weisman and Nathan Skop.
Brewer led the race with almost 38% of the votes, with Martin finishing second with more than 25%. Weisman and Skop finished third and fourth, respectively.
“I'm looking forward to continuing forward with the campaign,” Martin said.
The 12th seat on the 8th Judicial Circuit was formerly held by Judge Monica Brasington, who is retiring. Brasington served the court since 2013 after being appointed by former Gov. Rick Scott. The circuit has 12 seats in total and oversees the larger and higher profile criminal and civil cases in the community.
Leading up to the election, Sean Brewer spent significantly more than the other three candidates. Brewer spent over $140,000, according to state campaign finance records, in which $115,000 of that pool was loaned from his own money. AuBroncee Martin’s spending came in at around $37,000, Dan Weisman’s leveled out around $30,000 and Nathan Skop’s was about$15,600.
Brewer, a Gainesville resident, graduated from UF Law in 1998. He worked as an attorney in the 8th Circuit since 1998, serving as the Division Chief of Crimes, Crimes Against Women and Children and Felony Gun Crimes.
Brewer worked as a top prosecutor in several high profile cases, including the 2019 Hanna Brim murder trial. In addition to a law degree from UF, Brewer also has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in exercise and sport science.
Martin spent 24 years as a public defender in the 8th Circuit, and currently serves as the Felony Division 1 chief for Alachua County. Born in Tallahassee, he graduated from Florida A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in history and went on to graduate from UF’s College of Law with his law degree.
Martin also spent time working as an UF adjunct law professor between 2012 and 2014.
Contact Topher Adama at tadams@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @Topher_Adams.
This article has been updated to reflect that Sean Brewer received around 38% of the vote and AuBroncee Martin received around 25% of the vote. The Alligator previously reported otherwise.
Topher Adams is a fourth-year communications major and in his fourth semester with the Alligator. He previously covered football, baseball and women's basketball. He also enjoys professional lacrosse and Major League Soccer.
