BWRC August Meeting

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                                  Governor candidate followed by judges panel set for July 3

 At its July 3 meeting, to help prepare members for the upcoming Primary Election on August 18, Belleair Women’s Republican Club will hear from a third candidate for governor, Paul Renner, as well as be informed of area judicial races and candidates via a judges' forum. Mr. Renner will speak first, followed by the panel, which will be conducted by Sixth Judicial Court Public Defender Sara Mollo. The judge candidates speaking will be Nick Fiorentino and Zachariah Wade, who are running for County Judge—Group 10; Elizabeth Jack and Oxalis Garcia, who are running for Sixth Circuit Court Judge—Group 44; and Elizabeth Constantine and Stefen Diskey, who are running for Sixth Circuit Court Judge—Group 39. Information about the speakers can be found below.

The July luncheon will take place at Belleair Country Club, 1 Country Club Lane, Belleair. Check-in begins at 11:30 am with lunch served at noon. The cost to attend is $40 per person. Reservations and payment are due to arrive no later than noon on Tuesday, June 23. Mail checks to BWRC, 1350 County Road 1, #57, Dunedin, Fl 34697, or send payment using Zelle. To honor America and recognize it’s 250th birthday, please wear red, white and/or blue to the July 3 luncheon.

Governor candidate Paul Renner was the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives during the 2022-2024 term. He is a U.S. Navy veteran, a former prosecutor and a business attorney. He began his legal career as an Assistant State Attorney, prosecuting serious felony offenses. Since 1998, Renner has represented individuals and businesses as their advocate in a broad range of commercial settings.

He served as a naval officer, both on active duty and in the reserves. Earlier in his career, Renner served in Operation Desert Storm during combat operations onboard the USS McInerney (FFG-8) and later during combat operations in Afghanistan in 2011.

Renner was raised in Northeast Florida, where he attended public school. He earned his Juris Doctorate at the University of Florida, Levin College of Law, and his Bachelor of Arts in history at Davidson College in North Carolina. He was elected to the Florida House in 2015 and was term-limited in 2024.

Renner was a Scholar in Residence at the James Madison Institute, was a Senor Leadership Fellow at Florida International University’s Adam Smith Center for the Spring 2025 term and served as a Senor Fellow of the Flagler College Institute for Classical Education. After being appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, Renner served on the Board of Governors for Florida’s State University System. He lives in Palm Coast, Florida, with his wife and two children.

County Judge - Group 10 candidate Nick Fiorentino is managing partner at the law firm of Ciarciaglino, Gell & Fiorentino, P.A. now known as Fiorentino Firm, P.A. and has worked with this firm since 2025. He has an active practice representing individuals in need of legal services, including family law, personal injury, probate, wills and trusts, criminal law and other civil matters. He is an experienced trial attorney who zealously represents his client’s interests in and out of court. Nick also serves as a FINRA Arbitrator, a Certified Florida Supreme Court Mediator in Family and Marital Law and as a qualified Parent Coordinator for the Sixth Circuit. He has been critical incident attorney for the Sun Coast Police Benevolent Association and the Florida Police Benevolent Association for the past 20 years.

County Judge - Group 10 candidate Zachariah Wade earned a Political Science degree from Florida A&M University and a Juris Doctorate from Stetson University College of Law. While at Stetson, he was a member of the #1 Trial Team in the U.S. and after graduating was invited back to coach that same team. He was then hired by the College of Law as an adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy, Later, while at the Office of the State Attorney for Florida’s Sixth Judicial Circuit, Wade served the people of Pinellas County by representing the State in thousands of criminal cases. As a prosecutor, he was specially trained to handle high-impact cases involving domestic violence, DUI/BUI manslaughter, drug trafficking and homicides. After years of public service, he now represents clients in civil and criminal matters as a law firm owner.

Sixth Circuit Court Judge—Group 44 candidate and Circuit Judge Elizabeth Jack has been serving as a family law judge since January 2021. In that time, she has earned high praise from legal professionals, receiving the St. Petersburg Bar Association’s 2026 Judicial Appreciation Award. Judge Jack's prior service to the community includes: 10 years as an Assistant State Attorney in Pinellas County and two years in Hillsborough County, prosecuting a wide variety of crimes and receiving Pinellas County’s 2019 Prosecutor of the Year Award; working at USF St. Petersburg to deliver services to families with young children in the dependency system and working as a federal law clerk in the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Judge Jack is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, interning at the US Attorney’s and District Attorney’s Offices in Chicago, and the Office of Legal Counsel to the White House, in Washington, DC, and Boston College.  

Sixth Circuit Court Judge—Group 44 candidate Oxalis B. Garcia is an attorney licensed in Florida, Maryland and Puerto Rico, with 20 years of experience in the legal field She is dedicated to fairness, integrity and equal justice under the law. Throughout her legal career, she has earned a reputation for professionalism, sound judgment and treating every person with dignity and respect. As an attorney with Oxalis & Berry Law Firm, P.A., she has approached every matter with discipline, preparation and a commitment to impartiality and the rule of law. She has experience in family law, guardianships, contracts, immigration, criminal law and international Hague matters. As a judge, Ms. Garcia will ensure to set aside any unconscious bias, be respectful, patient and guided by strong ethical principles while serving communities with honor and rendering rulings based on the law, the rules and the admitted evidence. 

Sixth Circuit Court Judge—Group 39 candidate Elizabeth Constantine has been practicing law for nearly 13 years and has handled hundreds of cases. She has tried approximately 80 trials and has convicted 10 people at trial for murder. Liz began her career in misdemeanor (county) court where she was promoted to the role of lead trial attorney to supervise other attorneys in her division. In 2018, Liz was promoted again to a felony (circuit court) division and handled a wide variety of cases, including, but not limited to, domestic violence and physical and sexual abuse against children. In addition, Liz spent many years serving on the State Attorney’s Office Vehicular Homicide Unit. In 2020, she was promoted to a specialized prosecution unit called the Gang Unit, where she serves today.

Sixth Circuit Court Judge—Group 39 candidate Stefen Diskey has handled cases at every level — from misdemeanors to serious felony offenses, including murder prosecutions and crimes involving the abuse of children and the elderly over the course of his career. From his first day as an Assistant State Attorney, he has focused on one thing: serving with integrity, fairness and respect. He has participated in more than 70 jury trials and currently serves as a Lead Trial Attorney, supervising a team of prosecutors and helping oversee more than 1,000 active cases. Born and raised in Pasco County, Stefen grew up in a family dedicated to public service. Watching his father serve the community as a prosecutor, defense attorney, and Circuit Court Judge instilled in him a strong sense of duty, humility, and respect for the law.