Hernando Judge | 5th Circuit Court, Group 11

An established judge with a long, yet controversial, record faces a rare challenge to keep his seat in Citrus County. Richard “Ric” Howard of Brooksville is facing off against Rhonda Portwood, an Inverness attorney who handles family law.

	Richard A. Howard, 55	Rhonda R. Portwood, 45
Experience	Born on a military base in the Panama Canal Zone, Howard moved to Brooksville 15 years ago. He graduated from the University of South Florida before earning a law degree from Stetson University College of Law in 1978. He served as an assistant state attorney for more than 10 years before going into private practice in Hernando County for 12 years. He was appointed to the bench in 2000 by Gov. Jeb Bush and ran unopposed in 2002.	Portwood is a Florida native, born in Perry. She moved to Inverness nearly six years ago. She received a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University in 1999 and then a law degree from University of Arkansas at Fayetteville three years later at age 39. She worked as an assistant state attorney for eight months before joining a private firm. She formed her own firm nearly four years ago, handling mostly family law and some criminal matters.
Opinions on experience	“I have been a member of the Florida Bar for 30 years; working as an assistant state attorney in two different circuits for 10 years, private practice for 12 years and as a judge for the last eight years, I have the most well-rounded professional and personal life experience. In each phase of my three 'legal chapters’ I started at entry level and worked my way up to supervisory level.”	“I believe that I can make a difference. I am patient and reasonable, and have dealt with and solved a multitude of problems during my lifetime, all of which have prepared me to be a circuit judge. I have always worn many hats, some of which include the following: business owner and operator, wife, mother, stepmother, grandmother, attorney and child advocate.”
Assets	Home, property, investments.	Home, boat, law practice.
Liabilities	Mortgage, car loan, personal loans.	Mortgage, car loan, student loans.
Income	Salary.	Salary.
Personal	Married; three grown daughters.	Divorced, remarried; 15 children.
Net worth	$347,000	$53,000

About the job: The judge elected to Group 11 is typically based in Citrus County. Circuit judges handle juvenile justice, family law, felony cases and civil disputes involving more than $15,000. Judges are elected on a nonpartisan basis to six-year terms and get paid $145,080 annually.