Orange County District 4 Commissioner Maribel Gomez Cordero has ended her bid for county clerk of courts over a resign-to-run lawsuit from fellow Democrat Rick Singh.
The lawsuit sought to remove Gomez Cordero from the primary ballot because she did not submit paperwork in May to resign before the end of her term on the commission on Dec. 8.
Because the clerk of courts is sworn into office on Nov. 10, if Gomez Cordero won the election, she could serve in both offices simultaneously for 28 days — violating Florida’s resign-to-run law, the suit argues.
In Florida, resignation notices must be submitted 10 days before the end of the qualifying period, well before election day. For Orange County elections, that made the resignation deadline May 28.
Last week, an Orange County judge denied a motion to dismiss the case. A hearing had been scheduled for Thursday, July 30, but had been canceled by press time.
The decision
In her withdrawal letter, posted to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections website, Gomez Cordero did not admit any error.
“Although, I prevailed at that hearing, I do not believe it is in the best interest of the public or the campaign to continue expending taxpayer resources and campaign funds litigating this matter through the trial currently scheduled for July 30, 2026,” Gomez Cordero wrote in her letter. “Accordingly, for personal reasons, effective immediately, I am withdrawing my candidacy from the 2026 Special Election for Orange County Clerk of the Court.”
Her decision leaves two Democrats on the Aug. 18 primary ballot: Singh, who served as the county property appraiser between 2013 and 2021, and Roberta Walton Johnson, who is general counsel for the clerk of courts.
Both praised her decision on Tuesday.
“My sincere prayers are with Commissioner Gomez Cordero and her family as she continues to serve the remainder of her term,” Johnson wrote in a prepared statement. “I respect her decision, commend her strength during what I know has been a difficult time, and wish her nothing but success in her future endeavors.”
“I respect Mrs. Cordero's work as a commissioner,” Singh said in a Tuesday phone call. “Running for office is always difficult. It's not only difficult on the candidate, but it's also difficult on their family. And anyone that steps up to run for office should be commended. And I wish to commend Mrs. Cordero, and also wish her all the best for her and her family.”
Singh said his lawsuit was “not about personalities or about politics. It's about a candidate following the rule of law and following the constitution and adhering to that.”
The winner of the Democratic primary contest will face Terrell Thomas, who is running without party affiliation, in the general election.
An unusual policy
Gomez Cordero’s withdrawal is the latest election shake-up from Florida’s resign-to-run laws.
Florida is one of five states in the country that requires some elected officials to commit to resigning early in order to qualify for an election if the terms of both offices overlap — even if the official doesn’t win the election.
Earlier this year, Lake County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini sued the state to run for retiring Republican Congressman Daniel Webster’s seat without resigning from the commission.
A federal judge rejected that challenge, and Sabatini subsequently withdrew from the congressional race last month.
Earlier this year, Orange County Commissioner Mayra Uribe ignored calls to resign early in accordance with state resign-to-run laws as she seeks election as Orange County mayor. That will create an opening for her seat that Gov. Ron DeSantis or his successor could fill by appointment.
And this year’s clerk of courts election is itself a product of resign-to-run laws. Tiffany Moore Russell, the current clerk, did the opposite of Uribe, submitting her early resignation by the May deadline so that her seat would be decided in a special election, not via gubernatorial appointment. Russell is also running for Orange County mayor.
