Incumbent Judge easily the best choice

This endorsement is easy: elect incumbent Judge Natasha DePrimo because she’s a smart, poised and experienced judge who runs an efficient and cordial courtroom.

DePrimo, 39, was appointed to the county court bench in December 2018 by then-Gov. Rick Scott. As with all judicial appointees, DePrimo was vetted by the Judicial Nominating Commission, which carefully reviews a candidate’s legal career and personal life. Because there was so much turnover in the county court in 2018, she was interviewed by the commission for three separate openings. DePrimo probably captivated the commissioners because in addition to her excellent work experience and academic record, she tends to answer questions with old-school charm by saying “yes ma’am” and “no, sir.”

Her opponents are less impressive. Sean Conway, 49, has operated his own practice for the last 15 years and was an assistant public defender for seven years before that. He said in his Sun Sentinel questionnaire that he’s challenging DePrimo because she’s an appointed judge and “it seems proper to let the voters decide.”

Conway submitted his questionnaire, but was unable to log into the newspaper’s video program and grew frustrated. Finally, he told the Editorial Board to proceed without him.

DePrimo’s other opponent, Roseanna Bronhard, also opted not to participate in the newspaper’s vetting process. She didn’t submit a questionnaire and declined to participate in the interview. Bronhard, 55, is one of the most unusual judicial candidates of the 2020 election season. She lives in Wakulla County in Florida’s Panhandle, about 450 miles north of Broward County.

In an email, she said that she had been a resident of Broward County for more than 12 years at different times. She said she was living in North Florida because she had gotten a job with the state government in Tallahassee.

Bronhard confirmed that a story about her on Browardbeat.com was accurate. In that story, she said she wants to return to Broward because she has elderly parents living in Hallandale Beach.

The story also reported that Bronhard had lost two previous judicial elections – one in St. Lucie County in 2014 and the other in Holmes County in 2016. She blamed both losses on prejudice. She’s of PolishItalian descent and contends that voters, particularly in the Panhandle, choose candidates with roots in the area.

DePrimo said she has endured discrimination, too. “I am the daughter of a single mother, who raised me with the help of my grandparents,” she said in her questionnaire. “I am a Korean Jewish woman and I know what it is to be told you cannot do something because you are a woman, a minority, or because of my religion.”

Despite her “meager beginnings,” DePrimo graduated with honors from the University of Miami and got her law degree from the University of Florida in 2005. She practiced law in Miami for 10 years before serving as an assistant state attorney in both the Palm Beach and Broward offices between 2015 and 2018.

As the incumbent, DePrimo provides some stability in the county court system. She said she understands the day-to-day operations of the court and believes that her grasp of innovative technology has been particularly valuable since the pandemic erupted.

DePrimo said she has the endorsements of the Broward County Police Benevolent Association, the Fraternal Order of Police and the local chapter of Hispanic Vote.

She has $146,9800 in her campaign account; she said she loaned her campaign $100,000 of that total.

Conway said in his questionnaire that his campaign has $10,260. He did not report any endorsements. Bronhard has $6,300 in her campaign account.

County judges are paid $152,000 a year and serve a six-year term. The election is Aug. 18. If one of the candidates fails to get more than 50 percent of the vote, the two candidates who got the most votes will face each other in a runoff on Nov. 3.

DePrimo