The 2026 Judicial Candidate Forum

Event Description:

For the last decade, The North Tampa Bar has provided voters in Hillsborough County with invaluable insight and access to the candidates for contested judicial elections.  This year's event is bigger and better then ever--a joint presentation by the North Tampa Bar, APABA Tampa Bay, and the Tampa Hispanic Bar Association!

Former NTBA President and current APABA-TB Director Jared Krukar will moderate an unbiased, candid discussion with the candidates.  Who are they?  What makes them tick?  Why should you vote for them?  Through their answers you should gain the knowledge you need to confidently place your vote at the ballot box this fall.

NTBA, APABA, and THBA members all pay the same member price of $35 while nonmembers pay $45.  Buffet lunch is included, as is free parking.  Professional networking before and after lunch is a given.

Pre-registration is required--there will be no tickets at the door.

About your Moderator:

Jared Krukar is a Career Staff Attorney at the Florida Second District Court of Appeal and a Florida Bar Board Certified Appellate Specialist.  He is the President of the newly-formed Second District Appellate American Inn of Court and sits on the APABA-TB Board of Directors, and was recently appointed Vice Chair of the Florida Bar Appellate Certification Committee.  He is also a former President of the NTBA, having led this organization in 2020 and 2023.  Jared teaches classes in Communication and Media Ethics and law at the University of Tampa, and frequently presents to judges, lawyers, and students on topics of ethics and law throughout the state of Florida.

Statement of Non-Affiliation:

This forum is intended to be completely fair and unbiased.  Neither the bar associations nor the moderator have endorsed, nor will they endorse, any of the candidates in the 2026 judicial elections.