Prosecutor Melissa Gould wins Manatee County judgeship, defeating Kristy Zinna
Prosecutor Melissa Gould will take a seat on the Manatee County court bench, after winning a run-off with local defense attorney Kristy Zinna.
Gould received 113,511 votes, or 61% of the ballots cast while Zinna took 72,676 votes, or 39%.
The seat went up for grabs when current Manatee County Judge Mark Singer announced earlier this year that he would be retiring after serving 15 years. His term ends Jan. 4.
Four candidates had initially vied for the seat, including private attorneys Connie Mederos Jacobs and Christopher Pratt. Although Gould won the primary, she didn’t take a majority, forcing a runoff between her and Zinna.
“The judicial system in this country is a critical component of our democracy and I’m very grateful to everyone who voted in the election,” Gould said in a statement to the Bradenton Herald. “I want to offer a special and exceptionally heartfelt note of appreciation to the tremendous volunteers who helped my campaign as well as my large number of supporters, especially my wonderful husband Ryan and my family.”
Gould has worked as a prosecutor in the 12th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office in Manatee County since July 2012, handling misdemeanor and felony cases before being appointed to the specialty unit, which handles white collar crime, felony animal abuse cases and crimes against the elderly.
For Gould, it was important to allow the voters to make the decision rather than to seek an appointment, a practice that has been common over the years in Manatee County.
Retiring judges have been been criticized for resigning before the end of their term, forcing an appointment by the governor and eliminating the need for an election.
“I promise to honor my pledge and always serve this community with honesty sand integrity from the bench.,” Gould said.
Gould raised $222,940.80, including $190,000 in loans to herself while Zinna raised $141,170, including $126,000 in loans to herself.
Born in Los Angeles and raised in a small town in Ontario, Canada, Gould now lives in Lakewood Ranch with her husband Ryan Jawitz and their two children.
