Monroe County Judge Mark Wilson on Nov. 3 announced his candidacy for Sixteenth Circuit
Judge, Group 1. The seat will be open following the retirement of Judge Mark H. Jones, who will conclude his three-decade career on the bench when his current term ends in December 2026.
“Judge Jones has been a pillar of our judicial system for many years, and a stalwart example of professionalism and steady leadership,” Wilson said. “His service as a circuit judge has strengthened our courts and deepened public confidence in the justice system. I intend to continue my judicial service to the citizens of Monroe County by succeeding him in that role.”
Wilson was appointed to the Monroe County Court in 2017 by then-Gov. Rick Scott. He has since been elected without opposition. Before taking the bench, he served for 12 years as a Monroe County assistant state attorney, prosecuting public corruption crimes and other felony offenses.
WIlson also served for many years as the legal adviser to the Monroe County Grand Jury. He spent four years as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, where he prosecuted federal crimes. Wilson finished his prosecutorial career as chief assistant state attorney.
He is qualified by the Florida Supreme Court to preside over death penalty cases and has handled thousands of criminal and civil matters throughout the Florida Keys in eight years as a county judge.
Wilson has been a law professor at Penn State and Widener University law schools, a Wyoming state trooper and a U.S. Army paratrooper in the Republic of Panama and at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with the famed 82nd Airborne Division.
He earned a bachelor’s degree with highest honors from Rutgers University, a law degree magna cum laude from Penn State, and a postgraduate law degree from Yeshiva University.
“I’ve always believed that justice should be firm when it needs to be and compassionate
when it ought to be,” said Wilson. “The goal of our justice system is to seek the truth and apply the law fairly to everyone. As a judge, my duty is to ensure the rights of all parties are respected, the laws are faithfully applied, and that the decisions we reach are grounded in justice and reason. I intend to continue this as a circuit judge.”
Wilson said he has been endorsed by Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay, Monroe
County State Attorney Dennis Ward and the South Florida Police Benevolent Association.
The election for Circuit Judge, Group 1, takes place Aug. 18, 2026. Jones will retire four months later in December.
