Local attorney aims for county judge spot

PUNTA GORDA — As one of the last candidates to enter the county judge’s race, Sean Lux knows he has a tall order ahead of him.

Despite the circumstances, the Punta Gorda attorney said he feels ready for the campaign.

“If I didn’t think I could win, I wouldn’t run,” Lux told The Daily Sun in an interview on Friday.

Lux has lived in Punta Gorda for the past six years with his wife Debi, who currently serves as a member of the Punta Gorda City Council.

The couple originally lived in Naples, until they were drawn to the more easygoing pace of Charlotte County.

“It’s the fact that things aren’t as busy here,” Lux said.

After completing his service with the U.S. Air Force, Lux obtained his law degree and began working as a prosecutor in Lee County. He later transferred to Charlotte County before going into private practice for criminal defense and family law.

As a prosecutor, Lux said, he has covered nearly every kind of case — from low-level misdemeanors and DUIs, up to high-level felonies with a specialization in financial crimes and crimes against children.

Serving as a judge has been a goal Lux had been working toward for a while, he said. Part of his decision to go in private practice, he said, was to make sure he had the well-rounded experience to be impartial.

That work from both ends of the aisle, along with extensive trial experience, is what Lux believes will give him a leg up with voters compared to opponents Jeff Rapkin and Kathryn Wallace.

Lux said he sees the call to be a judge as an extension of his public service as a veteran, an attorney, and in his charity work.

Sean and Debi Lux originally started the Collier County Honor Flight, which organizes flights to Washington, D.C., for veterans of past wars.

“We stay involved as much as possible,” Lux said.

Outside of their work, Sean and Debi also enjoy rescuing animals. The couple has adopted four cats, including one with three legs, and a Shih Tzu dog.

The winner of the three-way race for Judicial Group 1 on Aug. 20 will succeed current County Judge Peter Bell for the seat in Judicial Group 1. The position involves adjudicating misdemeanor criminal offenses as well as civil cases with less than $15,000 in contention.