Nina Ashenafi Richardson won the Leon county judge race with 59.1 percent of the total votes. Opponent Sean Desmond had 40.9 percent. Richardson will serve as a judge for the Leon county court seat 5.

After a spirited but amicable campaign battle, voters in Leon County had put Nina Ashenafi, a native of Ethiopia, in the lead as judge for Leon County Court seat 5 over rival Sean Desmond. The seat had been empty since Judge Tim Harley stepped down in April due to medical reasons.

With 124,447 votes counted, Richardson led in the Seat 5 race with 59.1 percent of the vote, compared to Desmond’s 40.9 percent.

Here are the numbers:

Richardson: 73,544
Desmond: 50,903.

Richardson, for her part, said she wasn’t surprised by the lead and credited her position as a Tallahassee native with carrying the election. “This community has watched me grow up, and I feel the support from that long relationship.”

Richardson, a staff counsel for the Florida Education Association, was able to capitalize on a long list of volunteer and pro-bono work to edge Desmond on total campaign contributions of $126,000 to Desmond’s $94,000, as of Oct. 30.

Richardson, the wife of State Rep. Curtis Richardson, had also received the support of several unions: the Big Bend Police Benevolent Association, the Fraternal Order of Police and the Tallahassee Professional Firefighters union.

Desmond, who had argued that his litigation experience had better prepared him for the position, received endorsements from Harley, former Leon County Sheriff Eddie Boone and State Attorney Willie Meggs.

“Based on the numbers, it’s a little bit daunting,” said Desmond. “I have no idea whether or not I can make up that difference.”

-Tallahassee.com

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