Longtime prosecutor set to prevail as next Miami-Dade circuit court judge

Longtime prosecutor Vivianne del Rio bested defense lawyer Renee Gordon to win Tuesday’s sole Miami-Dade judicial election.

Del Rio was vying to be a Miami-Dade circuit court judge, a position that presides over major cases including felonies, complex civil litigation and family matters. With 91 percent of the precincts reporting late Tuesday, Del Rio had more than a 6 percentage point lead.

“I’m thrilled. Everyone in the community has seen me work hard. I am going to demonstrate to the citizens of Miami-Dade County that I’m worthy of their trust,” del Rio said as she drove with her husband and children to a celebration at Hialeah’s Casa Marin restaurant.

The race was a runoff. Both received more votes than Louis Martinez during the August primary, but the race was extended to Tuesday because neither topped 50 percent of the vote.

In August, Miami-Dade voters selected six new judges in open races while retaining one incumbent circuit judge.

Del Rio has been a Miami-Dade prosecutor for more than 26 years, most recently leading a unit dedicated to looking at cases after convictions, and examining cases in which someone may have been wrongfully convicted. As for Gordon, she has worked with the Public Defender’s Office for over two decades, in addition to running her own private practice.

This story was originally published November 6, 2018 at 8:54 PM.