MEET THE CANDIDATE
ANDREW BONDERUD
A Jacksonville native, a Husband, a Father, and a former U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer, Andrew Bonderud has spent more than 11 years in the courtroom, representing clients in a broad range of cases. Born at the Naval Hospital at NAS Jacksonville, Andrew attended Vanderbilt University on a full scholarship and graduated with high honors. Upon graduation, Andrew returned to Jacksonville, where he served on two ships at Naval Station Mayport.
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If elected to the Duval County Court, Andrew would be the only Hispanic judge in Jacksonville (a city with more than 100,000 Hispanic residents) and the only judge who has served our country in the United States Navy. Among the four candidates for Duval County Court Judge, Andrew is the only attorney who routinely represents clients in every type of case over which a Duval County Judge would preside.
US NAVAL SERVICE
Andrew first deployed with USS Gettysburg (CG-64) in 2005 as part of the Joint Inter-Agency Task Force South (JIATF-South) to interdict narcotics that were being trafficked into the United States from South and Central America. During the deployment, the Gettysburg, along with its embarked US Coast Guard law enforcement detachment, seized more than 34 metric tons of cocaine and arrested dozens of narcoterrorists in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and the Southern Caribbean Sea. In 2007, Andrew deployed to the Arabian Gulf with the USS Enterprise Strike Group to support US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan before finishing his service during a final deployment to the Mediterranean Sea in 2008 aboard the USS John L. Hall (FFG-32). Andrew was honorably discharged in 2009.
PROFESSIONAL WORK
Following his Navy service, Andrew attended law school at Boston College Law School, after which he was hired by the Romney for President campaign as the Florida Election Day Operations Director.
In early 2013, Andrew established his own law firm, where to this day, he represents clients in all types of high-stakes litigation in state and federal court, including civil, criminal, and family law matters. On numerous occasions, Andrew’s work has yielded not only unprecedented results, but also substantial changes and improvements to state and local agencies.
In addition to working as a litigator, Andrew serves as a quasi-judicial public arbitrator for the Florida Attorney General’s New Motor Vehicle (“Lemon Law”) Arbitration Board. Originally appointed to the Board by Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi in 2014, Andrew has been subsequently reappointed to the Board by both Attorney General Bondi and Attorney General Ashley Moody. Andrew’s other quasi-judicial experience includes service as a public arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).
Recognized for his outstanding pro bono work in federal civil rights cases, Andrew received the 2018 “Spirit of Giving” award from the Jacksonville Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. In 2024, he was competitively selected to be included on the Forbes Advisor list of the best criminal defense attorneys in Jacksonville. He has also beenincluded in the Thompson Reuters Florida SuperLawyers Rising Stars list since 2019.
PERSONAL
Andrew is the son and grandson of Hispanic immigrants. His mother was born in Havana, Cuba, and her family immigrated to the United States following the Castro-led Cuban Revolution. On his father’s side, Andrew’s grandfather (a former US Army Air Corps pilot) met Andrew’s grandmother in Guatemala City, Guatemala. She then immigrated to Miami, Florida, where they raised their family of 7 children, including Andrew’s father (a retired US Navy officer and pilot). If elected, Andrew is committed to honoring his judicial oath, and to applying the law to the facts in a fair and impartial way, without fear or favor. Andrew is married to Natalie Nicole Bonderud, and they split time between their homes in Avondale and Jacksonville Beach. Andrew has two daughters from his first marriage, ages 9 and 11, and Natalie is pregnant with what will be girl number 3 for Andrew. #GirlDad