Marion County judge Seat 1: LeeAnn Mackey-Barnes defeats Renee Thompson

Austin L. Miller, Ocala Star-Banner
·2 min read

With all of the votes counted, the Marion County Judge Seat 1 contest between lawyers Renee Thompson and LeAnn Mackey-Barnes ended with Mackey-Barnes winning.

Of the 128,758 votes cast, Mackey-Barnes had 70,701 votes, or 54.91 percent, to Thompson's 58,057 votes, or 45.09 percent.

LeAnn Mackey-Barnes was all smiles Tuesday night as she thanked everyone for all their hard work and belief in her. She defeated Renee Thompson to take the County Judge Seat 1 race.
LeAnn Mackey-Barnes was all smiles Tuesday night as she thanked everyone for all their hard work and belief in her. She defeated Renee Thompson to take the County Judge Seat 1 race.

In the August primary, Thompson had 40.44 percent, or 28,037 votes, to Mackey-Barnes' 35.55 percent, or 24,645 votes. A third candidate, Danielle Ruse, checked in with 24.01 percent, or 16,643 votes.

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The candidates, who qualified for runoff in August

Mackey-Barnes and Thompson were the top two vote recipients and therefore qualified for the general election runoff. To win outright in August, one would need to receive 50 percent of the vote plus one.

LeAnn Barnes gets a kiss from her husband, Troy Barnes, during the campaign watch party Tuesday.
LeAnn Barnes gets a kiss from her husband, Troy Barnes, during the campaign watch party Tuesday.

"I'm thankful to God first, and all the voters and supporters," Mackey-Barnes said Tuesday night.

An assistant public defender, Mackey-Barnes thanked her family and friends, adding, "without them, none of this would've been possible."

Mackey-Barnes and her supporters gathered at J Rocks Pizzeria, located along Easy Street, or Southwest 19th Avenue Road.

With her victory, she becomes the only Black judge in Marion County as well as the four other counties that make up the 5th Judicial Circuit: Sumter, Lake, Hernando and Citrus.

If Thompson would've won, she and her husband, County Judge Tommy Thompson, would've joined a handful of couples to have served as judges within the same circuit.

"While the outcome is not what we hoped for, of course, I am proud of my campaign team and grateful for their hard work. We ran an honest and clean campaign and I am thankful for the outpouring of support I received from so many in our community," said Thompson, who has a law practice and also serves as a mediator.

The race

Mackey-Barnes will replace County Judge Jim McCune, who's retiring at the end of the year.

The race was nonpartisan. County judges serve six-year terms with an annual salary of $156,377.

As results trickled in after the polls closed at 7 p.m., Mackey-Barnes jumped to an early lead and never looked back.

At 7:45 p.m., she had 38,846 votes, or 55.25 percent, to Thompson's 31,466 votes, or 45.75 percent.

County judge candidate Renee Thompson looks on as the vote totals were reported Tuesday night.
County judge candidate Renee Thompson looks on as the vote totals were reported Tuesday night.

By 9 p.m., with 58 of the 105 precincts counted, Mackey-Barnes had 55.11 percent or 55,393 votes to Thompson's 44.89 percent or 45,127 votes.

As for the future, Mackey-Barnes said: "I look forward to working with, learning from and continuing to serve a community I love."

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Marion County, Florida: LeeAnn Mackey-Barnes wins county judge seat