The answer lives in this podcast
How does Oxalis Garcia address questions about political affiliation during her judicial campaign?
Garcia's answer is straightforward: the circuit judge position is a nonpartisan role, which legally prohibits her from affiliating with any political party. She invokes the figure of Lady Justice — blindfolded and impartial — as the clearest symbol of what the role demands. Even so, she acknowledges that some voters still press her to reveal her political leanings.
A role that is defined by its political blindness
When voters ask Garcia which party she belongs to, her first move is to reframe the question entirely. The circuit judge seat she is seeking — Pinellas County Circuit Judge Group 44, within the Sixth Judicial Circuit — is, by design, a nonpartisan position. That is not a campaign talking point; it is a legal constraint.
This means Garcia cannot formally affiliate with any political party, attend partisan events as a candidate, or solicit donations based on party loyalty. The position requires her to step outside the partisan framework entirely, something she addresses head-on whenever the question comes up on the trail, as she explains in episode #55 of From Courtroom to Carline.
Lady Justice as the answer she gives voters who keep pushing
Garcia does not stop at citing the legal rule. She reaches for the most recognizable image in the legal world: Lady Justice, blindfolded, holding her scales. The blindfold is not decorative — it represents the principle that justice must be administered without regard to who is standing before the bench.
That image, Garcia argues, is the honest answer to any question about her political leanings. What matters to her is whether the facts and the law support a party's position, not which party that person voted for. This framing is something she returns to throughout her campaign, and it is discussed in depth in From Courtroom to Carline.
Still, she is candid about the reality on the ground: some voters are not satisfied with the institutional explanation. They push past the nonpartisan label and want to know, practically, where Garcia stands. She acknowledges this tension openly rather than dismissing it — a point worth noting for anyone following judicial campaigns in Florida, and one that the podcast explores with real frankness.
"I bring a multicultural and multi-jurisdictional perspective to the bench, which is something that I don't believe any other judge has at this moment in time in the Sixth Judicial Circuit."
Oxalis Garcia — Attorney, Candidate for Pinellas County Circuit Judge Group 44, Sixth Judicial Circuit. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Garcia spent part of her teen years in Ohio before returning to the island to complete high school, college, and law school. She holds bar licenses in three jurisdictions — Puerto Rico, Florida, and Maryland — and has been practicing law in Florida since 2012, with her first bar license dating to 2006 (approximately 20 years of total legal experience). She specializes in family law, with particular expertise in complex jurisdictional matters and international Hague child abduction cases. She merged her practice with law partner Michael Berry and has appeared on the reality TV show 90 Day Fiance as a legal consultant. The full conversation is available on From Courtroom to Carline: A Legal Parenting Podcast.
See also
What has Oxalis Garcia learned while campaigning for circuit judge in Pinellas County?
One of the most striking things Garcia discovered is that many people are unaware they can vote for judges, and that most judicial elections are decided in the primary rather than the general election.
Why is Oxalis Garcia running for Pinellas County Circuit Judge Group 44?
Garcia says she is running because she has reached a stage in her career, after 20 years of practice, where it is time to start a new chapter. She states that she wants to give back to the community and bring her multicultural, multi-jurisdictional perspective to the bench.
How did Oxalis Garcia become involved in international Hague child abduction cases?
Garcia became involved by chance when a client's daughter was taken to Trinidad and Tobago by the father. While trying to get a child pickup order in that situation, she discovered the International Hague Treaty framework and went on to build deep expertise in this area.
Key takeaways
- Circuit judge is a legally nonpartisan role — Garcia cannot affiliate with any political party during her campaign for Pinellas County Circuit Judge Group 44.
- She uses the blindfolded figure of Lady Justice as a concrete, accessible way to explain her commitment to ruling on facts and law — not political identity.
- Despite the institutional nonpartisan framework, some voters continue to press Garcia to reveal her political leanings, a tension she acknowledges openly.
- Her multicultural background and three-jurisdiction legal experience form the core of her argument that she brings a uniquely impartial, broad-based perspective to the Sixth Judicial Circuit bench.