Judge disqualifies Rebekah Jones from running for Florida District 1 seat

TALLAHSSEE, Fla. -- A judge ruled Friday afternoon that Florida District 1 candidate Rebekah Jones is not qualified to run in the 2022 election.

A lawsuit alleged she wasn't registered as a Democrat for 365 days before qualifying. Leon Circuit Court Judge John Cooper agreed.

Jones' opponent Peggy Schiller filed the suit.

Following the decision, Schiller will no longer have a democratic opponent in this month's primary.

Jones is still allowed to appeal. In a statement to Channel 3 following the decision, she said she plans to do so:

We're appealing immediately, and voters can rest assured that we're not going to let Peggy Schiller, her GOP lawyer or anyone else steal this election from the voters.

Much of attorneys' arguments revolved around a document saying Jones was registered as 'unaffiliated' in Maryland. Everyone agreed it's a legitimate document.

Jones testified she did not file the document, saying someone else changed it.

Jones claims she's always been registered as a Democrat and never registered as a member of the independent party.

Jones told the court she did initially file to run independently. She says she changed to run as a Democrat when learning of the party registration law.

Judge Cooper kicked Jones out of the virtual trial for a short period of time for interrupting his ruling before allowing her back in.

Channel 3 talked to UWF Professor Jacob Shively about what impact disqualifying Jones will have on the election.

"It can have a dramatic effect because folks have been donating to a certain candidate, a whole infrastructure has been built to support the candidate -- and suddenly they're off the ballot," he said. "And the folks who may fall into that open seat may not have as much support or may not have the time to develop the same network."

The judge says Jones changing her registration around the same time she changed her FEC filings wasn't a coincidence. The judge adds this is a decision he doesn't take lightly.

Schiller provided Channel 3 this statement following the decision:

I am pleased with the ruling today by Judge John Cooper of the 2nd Judicial Circuit, which will instruct the Supervisors of Elections in the First Congressional District NOT to count votes cast for Rebekah Jones in the Democratic primary for the First Congressional District on August 23rd. I believe justice has been served. All congressional candidates must comply with the same set of rules to become a qualified candidate. Jones clearly did not follow the rules and in doing so violated her Candidate Oath. This decision is good news for the Democratic party as the Republicans would have brought Jones’ voter registration violation to light had she become the nominee, leaving the Democratic party without a qualified candidate on the ballot in November. I have always wanted to make this campaign about defeating our poor excuse for a representative, Matt Gaetz. This will now be our only focus, and we hope the constituents of the First Congressional District unite with me in achieving this goal.