ORLANDO, Fla. - Roberta Walton Johnson officially began her service as Orange County Clerk of Courts today after taking the Oath of Office on Nov. 10.
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“I am deeply honored and excited to serve the people of Orange County in this role,” Walton Johnson said. “Having worked alongside the dedicated professionals of this office for more than a decade, I recognize the important responsibility we share in supporting the administration of justice.”
Walton Johnson, the Democratic candidate, won the special election to be the next clerk of courts with 66% of the vote on Nov. 3, according to the unofficial count.
Her opponent, Terrell Thomas, a former clerk’s office IT worker who since continued working with courts systems in the private sector, garnered about 28% of the vote running as a no-party-affiliated candidate, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Walton Johnson is the third-ever African-American clerk in Orange County, after Tiffany Moore Russell and Clerk Ad Interim, Joyce Boudoin. Moore Russell, who was elected in 2015, was the first African-American female Clerk of Court in Florida and first African-American clerk in Orange County.
Moore Russell said she was leaving the post after launching a bid to become Orange County’s next mayor in 2026. She won that race after defeating Republican businessman Chris Messina on Nov. 3.
READ: Tiffany Moore Russell declares victory in Orange County mayoral runoff
As Clerk, Walton Johnson said she will focus on expanding access to court services and enhancing the customer experience, improving operational efficiency through technology and innovation and safeguarding the integrity of public records and court data.
She also added that she would like to strengthen connections between the courts and the community through civic engagement.
“Access to justice begins with access to information,” Walton Johnson said. “By bringing education and resources closer to the communities we serve, we can make our justice system more approachable and accessible.”
Walton Johnson cleared a contentious Democratic primary with 53% of the vote. Facing former Orange County Property Appraiser Rick Singh and, at one point, county Commissioner Maribel Gomez Cordero, the race quickly turned controversial.
Gomez Cordero ultimately bowed out of the race amid a legal challenge by Singh over an alleged violation of Florida’s “resign-to-run” law.
Singh’s supporters then turned their attention to Walton Johnson over her 1996 federal bank fraud conviction, for which she was sentenced to probation before being granted clemency.
The race’s mood softened following Walton Johnson’s primary victory, with her and Thomas preferring to focus on their own qualifications rather than trading barbs.
The Orange County Clerk of Courts maintains official court records, manages court-related financial activities and provides essential services to residents, attorneys and the Ninth Judicial Circuit.
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