Duval County Group 13 judge race heads to November runoff

Duval County voters will choose between prosecutor Octavius Holliday and public defender Melina Buncome in a November runoff for the County Court Group 13 judicial seat. The two advanced from Tuesday’s three-candidate primary after finishing ahead of Duval County magistrate Marquita Green.

Holliday led the primary with 37% of the vote, while Buncome received 33%, according to results reported by The Tributary. Green did not advance. The runoff is scheduled for Nov. 3 and will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Mose Floyd.

How the Group 13 field narrowed

The primary presented voters with three candidates whose legal careers reflect different parts of the local justice system. Holliday works at the State Attorney’s Office, Buncome has spent decades in the Public Defender’s Office, and Green serves as a magistrate in Duval County. With no candidate ending the three-person contest in the primary, the top two now move to the general-election ballot.

The percentages show a close enough contest that both remaining candidates have substantial work ahead. Holliday begins the runoff with a four-point lead from the primary, but Buncome enters with support from roughly one-third of participating voters. The November result will determine who takes a bench that handles many of the legal matters residents are most likely to encounter directly.

Octavius Holliday’s prosecution and private-practice background

Holliday directs the human rights division of the State Attorney’s Office under State Attorney Melissa Nelson. His work there focuses largely on cases involving elder abuse or exploitation, and he also serves on grand-jury and officer-involved-shooting review panels.

His legal background extends beyond prosecution. Holliday told The Tributary that he has worked in criminal defense, family law, civil matters and private practice. That range gives voters a record that includes both government service and work representing clients in several areas of law.

Outside the courtroom, Holliday is active with 100 Black Men of America and serves as president of the local Theta Phi chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity. Those community roles are part of the experience voters can weigh alongside his professional record as the runoff campaign continues.

Melina Buncome’s public-defense and problem-solving court work

Buncome has worked as a public defender since 1997. She currently directs Problem Solving Courts in Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit, overseeing mental-health, veterans-treatment and adult-drug court cases across Duval, Clay and Nassau counties.

Her case experience spans serious and lower-level criminal matters. Buncome told The Tributary she has handled cases ranging from homicide to misdemeanor juvenile proceedings, and she previously maintained a private practice that included civil law. She has also received the Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Award.

That résumé gives Buncome a long view of how defendants, families and treatment programs interact with the courts. Her current position is especially tied to court programs designed around recurring issues such as mental health, substance use and the needs of veterans, although the Group 13 county-court assignment would cover a broader calendar.

What Duval County judges handle

County courts are sometimes described as the people’s courts because their limited jurisdiction includes disputes and offenses that frequently bring residents into the judicial system. Their work can include misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, civil contract disputes, family matters and probate issues.

The Group 13 election therefore concerns more than courtroom style or a candidate’s professional title. County judges make decisions in cases that can affect a person’s record, finances, driving privileges and family responsibilities. They also manage busy dockets, explain rulings to people who may not have attorneys and apply the law across a wide range of everyday disputes.

Holliday and Buncome arrive at that work from different institutional perspectives. Holliday’s experience includes prosecution, defense and private civil practice, while Buncome’s career has centered on public defense and specialized court programs. The runoff gives voters a direct comparison between those backgrounds rather than a repeat of the broader three-way field.

What happens before the November runoff

The campaign now moves into a one-on-one phase ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Both candidates will have the opportunity to explain how their experience would shape courtroom management, treatment of litigants and application of the law. Voters can also examine their work histories, professional service and responses to questions about the kinds of cases assigned to county court.

Green’s elimination means the votes cast for the third-place candidate are newly available in the runoff. Neither remaining candidate can assume the primary result will carry forward unchanged. Turnout, voter familiarity and the ability to distinguish their records will help determine who succeeds Floyd.

The contest is one of several Duval County judicial races decided or narrowed by Tuesday’s primary. For Group 13, the central choice is now clear: a State Attorney’s Office division director with experience on both sides of criminal cases, or a longtime public defender who oversees problem-solving courts across the Fourth Judicial Circuit. Duval voters will make that choice in November.