Mary Hatcher rose to the top Tuesday evening as she and two other lawyers tried to unseat incumbent 5th Judicial Circuit Court Group C Judge Sandy Kautz.
Trailing behind her were Denise A. Dymond Lyn and Bo Samargya. Kautz was running fourth.
But it appears Lyn squeaked out enough votes to force a November runoff with Hatcher.
The race appeared on ballots in Sumter, Marion, Lake, Citrus and Hernando counties.
The judgeship is based in Inverness in Citrus County. Hatcher has operated a practice in Bushnell and has specialized in family law.
Charlie Crist topped Nan Rich in the Democratic primary in the Florida governor’s race.
Crist, a former Republican, will go on to face GOP incumbent Gov. Rick Scott in November.
During her campaign, Rich paid a visit to The Villages Democratic Club in June and to an event at Spruce Creek in July. Crist sent his running mate, Annette Taddeo, to a Villages Democratic Club event in August.
In Lake County, incumbent County Judge Terry Neal of Leesburg defeated Clermont attorney Daniel David Archer. She won election to another six-year term.
In Marion County, incumbent Commissioner Carl Zalak III beat Glenn Fiorello in the Republican Primary. Zalak currently serves as the commission chairman.