“To all of you who have stood with me — your support means more than you know. My commitment remains steady: to serve our community with compassion, fairness, and integrity. Every day, I pledge to be guided by the belief that our courts should reflect dignity, respect, and the highest standards of justice for everyone who walks through their doors.”

Campaign finance reports showed that Hayes had raised $75,510 while Miller raised $56,842.

In an email sent to colleagues, viewed by VoxPopuli, Miller said, in part, that he leaves “with confidence that our court will continue to serve the community with excellence.”

Hayes is a longtime Orlando resident, who attended Oakridge High School, then went on to receive both her undergraduate and law degrees from Florida State University, returning to work at several large law firms before switching to part-time work while raising her two sons. (She slid in a “Go ‘Noles!” during her 60-second speech at the African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida Hob Nob, noting her oldest son is heading there too.)

“County court is the people’s court and members of our community need a knowledgeable, experienced and compassionate judge to hear their cases,” Hayes said when VoxPopuli profiled her in January. “Evictions, collections, misdemeanors — sometimes your day in court is your very worst day, and I pledge to bring fairness, respect and impartiality to the bench.”