Retain Drew Atkinson

Judge Drew Atkinson, an Army veteran and a former deputy solicitor general, is on the ballot for another term on the Second District Court of Appeal. This is a retention vote: you mark Yes to keep the judge or No to remove him. If a majority votes Yes, he stays, and Florida voters have never removed an appellate judge. Governor Rick Scott appointed Atkinson to the court in 2018, and voters retained him in 2020. Before joining the court, he served as general counsel at two state agencies, the Department of State and the Department of Management Services. The Florida Bar used to poll lawyers on judges up for retention, but it ended that poll in 2023. In its 2020 poll, 76 percent of responding lawyers favored keeping Atkinson. The research found no organized campaign for or against him. The Hillsborough County Republican Party recommends retaining every judge on the ballot. No progressive group was found taking a position on him. Creative Loafing Tampa Bay's guide lists a No vote on Atkinson. The research found no recommendation from the Tampa Bay Times. Research as of October 23, 2026. Sources and the full picture are on this page.