Eric Eisnaugle applies for 5th District Court of Appeal opening

State Rep. Eric Eisnaugle has declared himself an applicant for the open seat on the 5th District Court of Appeal.

Eisnaugle, 40, of Orlando, is an attorney with Rumberger Kirk & Caldwell in Orlando. The Republican served two terms representing House District 40 before stepping aside in 2012 when redistricting put him and Steve Precourt in the same district.

Eisnaugle ran again and won in 2014 in House District 44. That made him a freshman with two terms experience and he campaigned for the speaker designates post for his class, but lost.

He was not immediately available for comment Tuesday morning.

He is among 18 applicants for the vacancy in the Daytona Beach-based 5th District, including nine circuit judges from Orange, Brevard, Volusia, Brevard and Alachua counties.

They all seek to succeed C. Alan Lawson, whom Gov. Rick Scott appointed to the Florida Supreme Court in December.

Among his committee appointments, Eisnaugle is vice chairman of the House Justice Appropriations Subcommittee.

The other applicants include circuit judges Alice Blackwell, Lisa Munyon, Heather Rodriguez, Patricia Strowbridge, Gregb Tynan and Keith White of Orange County; Circuit Judge John Harris of Brevard County; Circuit Judge Donna Keim of Alachua County; Circuit Judge Randall Rowe of Volusia County; Assistant U.S. Attorney Roberta Bodnar of the Middle District of Florida; attorney Stephen Chong of Orange County; Senior Assistant County Attorney David D’Agata of Marion County; Assistant General Counsel Craig Feiser of Jacksonville; Florida Polytechnic University Associate General Counsel Nicole Jackson of Polk County; attorney Margaret Kozan of Winter Park; attorney William Ponall of Maitland; and Office of Public Defender Appellate Division Chief Nancy Ryan of Volusia County.

Blackwell, Bodnar and Strowbridge recently applied for the state Supreme Court vacancy created by the retirement of Justice James E.C. Perry. That position eventually went to Lawson.

The Fifth District Judicial Nominating Commission will conduct interviews on March 6 and 7.